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

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's 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.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to 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 addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment 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.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned 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 condemned 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 genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up 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 over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key 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 long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

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

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 controlling UK firms.

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

One of the fighters 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 connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.