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

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

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

While accounts of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

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

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British 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 charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing 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 listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help 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 UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

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

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

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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