Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

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

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

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" 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, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans 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, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons 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 UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring 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 consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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