Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

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 cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations 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 named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights concerns 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 UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, 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 identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors 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 said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

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

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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