Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

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

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

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

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

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

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

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

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

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 establishing and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment 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 humanitarian access."

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