Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

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

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

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

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary 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 acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers 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 alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting 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 "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" 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 the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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