Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

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

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals 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 restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

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 course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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