Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms
Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment 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 international web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited
Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.
Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.
While reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.
London Flat Connected to Censured Firm
The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.
Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.
The company is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.
The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.
"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.
Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks
Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war 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 "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.
When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.
Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.
Network Headed by Retired Officer
Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.
The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.
Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.
"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.
Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict
In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.
Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.
The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".
Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".
Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues
The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.
These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.
"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," 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 sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.
"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.
Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations
A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.
The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.
One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.
The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.
A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."
They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.