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

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers 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 widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’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 knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred 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 firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were key 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 remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

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

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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