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

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict 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 "systematic killings, abuse and assault" 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, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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 camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons 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 highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated 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 role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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