Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting 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 similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 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.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting 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 significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning 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 establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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 companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters 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 demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.