Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

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

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

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

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges 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 managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," 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 UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies 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 said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

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

One of the fighters recently admitted 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 linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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