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

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK 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, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture 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 systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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