Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

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

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

The company is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war 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 "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located 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 penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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