Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, 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 openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

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

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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