Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary 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 knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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