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

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

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 claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

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 former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business 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 more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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