Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former 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 mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British 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 charged 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 verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure 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 accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business 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 said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light 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 United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.