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

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were key 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 regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting 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 harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report 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 demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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