Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment 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 United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

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

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

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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 United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked 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 repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.