Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

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

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

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, 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 Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network 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 retired Colombian military 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 employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 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 named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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

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 mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children 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 report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson 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 atrocities in El Fasher.