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

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small flat connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating 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 argue the situation highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to 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 accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe the UK 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 trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "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 broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning 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 said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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