Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

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

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "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 highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation 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 calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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