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

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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 primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture 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 firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

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

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals 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 UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the fighters 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 Colombian mercenaries. A report 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 calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, 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.