Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict 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 "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify 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.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure 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 Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"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 outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"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 UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting 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 connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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