Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the 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 accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm remains active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure 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 awareness of the company's operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network 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 having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed 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 managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up 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, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved 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 expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals 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 government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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