Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

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

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged 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 sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement 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 seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.