Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation 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 former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, 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 owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall 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 regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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