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

Situated near a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a small flat linked 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 firms implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors 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 experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure 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 firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation 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 ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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