Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

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 firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans 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 marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones were instrumental 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," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. 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 UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

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 fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.