Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, 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 recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

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

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

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

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, 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 central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

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

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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