Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

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

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

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

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

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

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder 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 new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted 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 connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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