Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants 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 over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals 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 censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man 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 alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp 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 "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

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

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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