Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure 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 operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army 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 owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. 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 UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret 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 linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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