Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities 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 resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged 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 confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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