Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

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

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall 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 daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.