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

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

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

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’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 awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified 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 trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning 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 set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to 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 UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying 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 immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.