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

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged 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 sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network 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 having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks 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 fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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