Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged 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 operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "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 Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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 long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed 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 linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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