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

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers 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 widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury announced 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 said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly 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 charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning 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 stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.