Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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 major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK 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 accused by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network 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 having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current 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, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

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

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed 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 Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.