Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

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

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

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors 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 Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

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

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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 confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end 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.