Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently 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 genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, 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 playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation 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 lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing 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 mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.