Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers 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 killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated 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 claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured 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 respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

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

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"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.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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