Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

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

These contractors 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 analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added 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 participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

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

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged 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 seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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