Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

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

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in 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 penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light 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 United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.