Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

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

The British foreign secretary has censured 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 genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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