Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a small flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

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

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, 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 alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental 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 regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors 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 Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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