Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

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

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," 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 penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.