Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

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

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

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses.

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

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

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

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors 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 Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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