Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured 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, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure 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 activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart 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 playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" 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 hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

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

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"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 said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

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 arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.