Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses 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 identified and sanctioned 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 resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

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

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business 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.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, 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 providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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