Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

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

While reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

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

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, 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 Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers 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 business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America 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 the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. 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 government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light 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 seen combat in El Fasher.

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

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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