Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business 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 new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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