Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart 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 alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental 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," said the expert. "These weapons 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 London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling 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 recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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