Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

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

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence 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 fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.