Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, 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 recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents 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 abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

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

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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