Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led 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 retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

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

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.