Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

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

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured 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 acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, 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 located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business 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 UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

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

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, 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 role in the crimes in El Fasher.