Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

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

As accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently 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 the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises questions 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 UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

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

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

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed 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 company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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