Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

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

While reports of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"This 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 apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals 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 British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called 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 site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced 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 Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

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

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.