Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm is active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned 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 British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked 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 proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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