Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

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

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based 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 Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred 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 person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted 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 connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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