Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

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 Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect 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 allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved 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 long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals 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 Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running 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 mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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