Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war 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, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft 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 outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. 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 British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.