Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured 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 censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse 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 respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting 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 external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals 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 Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling 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 confirmed 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 report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.