Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities 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 researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals 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 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation 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 violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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