Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to 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 company had used their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat 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 genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology 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, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.