Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

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

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

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 retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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