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

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures 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," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" 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, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, 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 significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, 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 remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

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

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

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

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