Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company 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 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added 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 involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout 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 emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

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

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