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

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a 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 used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators 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 precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said 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 added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently admitted 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 recruitment of the contractors. A investigation 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 commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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