Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture 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 operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

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

These aircraft proved instrumental 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 fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. 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 stated 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 apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently confirmed 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 UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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