Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

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

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

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many 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 firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"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 fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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