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

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns 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 more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.