Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the 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 violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used 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 based from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans 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 serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance 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 London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having 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.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed 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 Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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