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

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small flat connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

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

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified 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 registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm is operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, 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 named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones were 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 fatalities," 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 UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"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 set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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