Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

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

As reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm remains active. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one 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 postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture 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 awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

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

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing 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 calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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