Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

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 murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned 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 Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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