Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve 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 directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation 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 having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, 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 guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret 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 UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.