Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing 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 analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is active. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern 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 flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source 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 came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. 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 aid delivery."

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.