Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun 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, established by two individuals named and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run 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 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 confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"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 external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming 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 high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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