Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture 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.

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

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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