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

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ 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 accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted 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 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 said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed 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 connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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