Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted 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, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode 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 postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured 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 "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this 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 camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

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 combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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