Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

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

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel 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 addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat 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 asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added 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 involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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 admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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