Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture 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 knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental 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 long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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