Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.