Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military 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 mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing 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 United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured 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 questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses 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 sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures 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 capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.