Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the saga raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK 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 trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall 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 civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having 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 fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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