Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries 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 cost over 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga raises questions over how people 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 UK capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling 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 confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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