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

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed 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 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 sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," 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 added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" 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, prompting 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, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians 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 calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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