Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of 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.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation 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 calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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