Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company remains operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned 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 the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, 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 named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling 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 confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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