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

Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the saga raises 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 British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per 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 Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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