Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure 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 reports of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man 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 alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

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

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

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

"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 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 corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology 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 hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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