Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- 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 blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the saga highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned 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 condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Network Led by Retired Officer

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 based in the Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list 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, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were 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 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 noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans 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 trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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