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

Situated near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small flat linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart 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 key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft 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 remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult 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 recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up 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 confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.