Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a grim reality: a small flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

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

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the saga highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

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 Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK 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, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

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

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

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

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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