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

Situated near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

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

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre 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 recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"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 firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the fall 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 expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted 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 connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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