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

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring 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 company is operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction'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 activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

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 former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing 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 agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were key in the fall 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 systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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