Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a small flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

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

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded 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 transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source 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 emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.