Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel 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.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing 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 mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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