Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, links have been identified 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, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

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

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved 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 regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals 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 Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation 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 British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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