Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches 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 serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group 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 firm in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring 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 individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, 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 technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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