Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

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, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

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

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

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

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder 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 said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology 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 United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.