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

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international web of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to 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 major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary 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 acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness 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 spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted 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 report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.