Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, links have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to 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 listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga raises questions over how people openly censured 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 UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. 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 stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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