Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing 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 triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities 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 former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre 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 ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

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 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 supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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