Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people 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 records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated 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, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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