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

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment 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 international web of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad 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 the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military 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 recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children 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 hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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