Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

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

As reports of violence increase, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

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

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

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

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up 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 admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought 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 Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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