Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named 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 camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental 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 remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" 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, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat 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 UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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