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

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling 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 capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance 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 London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source 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 role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.