Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’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 company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. 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 Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction 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 apology 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, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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