Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing 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 experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture 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 firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response 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 firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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