Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

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

While accounts of violence increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft 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 long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder 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 stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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