Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

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

While reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

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

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation 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 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 wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones were key in the capture 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 daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance 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 UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret 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 United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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