Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim reality: a small flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries 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 identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

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

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up 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 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack 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 harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed 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 connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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