Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were 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 fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors 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 recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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