Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, 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.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say 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 UK capital.

The British foreign secretary 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 respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both list the UK 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 war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "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 London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing 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 calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.