Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

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

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture 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," said the expert. "These systems 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked 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 atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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