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

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established 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 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

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

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s capture 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 firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network 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 hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

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

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report 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 UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal 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.