Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture 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.

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

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

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

The company is operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals 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 British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

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

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help 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 London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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