Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were key in the fall 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 civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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