Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man 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 Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

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

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret 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, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.