Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

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

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

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

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military 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 wife was also penalized for running the agency.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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