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

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

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

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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