Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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