Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

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 Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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