Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring 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 Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network 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 playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones proved instrumental 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 regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. 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 UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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