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

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

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 soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said 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 penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence 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 harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

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 connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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