Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

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

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, 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 guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "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 highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

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

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