Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated 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 American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre 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 alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business 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 government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to 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 arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

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

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.