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

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

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

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

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

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat 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 awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

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 former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having 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 owning and managing the firm.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

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

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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