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

Situated near the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This 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 apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned 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 questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring 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 camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted 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 linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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