Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-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 reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

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

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

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 precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said 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 noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning 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 establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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