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

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

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

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

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man 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 Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture 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," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged 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 UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, 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.