Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

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

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights questions 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 British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, 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 questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

The role of the South Americans 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 UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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