Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture 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, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved 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 daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license 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 said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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