Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights questions 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 UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role 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 individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.