Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

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

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

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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