Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a small flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one 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 serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

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

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, 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 alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

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

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business 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 said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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 admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected 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 protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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