Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

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

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

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

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

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having 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 establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying 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 demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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