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

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

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

These contractors were directly involved 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 claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals 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 censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart 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 alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.