Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm is operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named 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 seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved key 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 long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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