Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-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.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

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 dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted 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 respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running 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 trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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