Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the 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.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

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

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

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

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers 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 apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

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

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