Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers 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, prompting 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 fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment 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 repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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