Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring 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 the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

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

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

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 running UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.