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

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, 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 asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure 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 hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, 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 technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up 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 fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected 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 consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.