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

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per 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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

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

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport 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 stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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