Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

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

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up 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 UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 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 official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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