Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a small flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations 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 sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall 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 regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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