Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms
Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.
Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted
Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.
Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.
As reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.
London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm
The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.
Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.
The firm remains operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.
Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.
"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.
Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks
Experts say the saga highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.
The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" 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 respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.
Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.
Network Headed by Former Soldier
According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.
Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.
"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to 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 the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.
Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.
The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.
The two list the UK as their "country of residence".
Impact on the War and Wider Issues
The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.
These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.
"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."
He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.
"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.
Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations
A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.
The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.
One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.
The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring 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 consistently denied these allegations.
A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."
They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.