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

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation 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 postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental 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 daily fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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