Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants 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 claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

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

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

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based 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 wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons 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 involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed 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 connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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