Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, 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 hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters 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 halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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