Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

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

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

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

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said 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 participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack 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 fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.