Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location 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 were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured 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, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man 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 Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning 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 said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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