Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

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

As accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" 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 firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm 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 transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport 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 said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors 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 recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.