Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding 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 mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were key 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 regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

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

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