Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war 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 "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

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

These aircraft proved 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 long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

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 role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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