Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected 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 claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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