Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a grim reality: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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