Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture 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 operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network 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 hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

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

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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