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

Tucked away near the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

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

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

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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 linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation 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 UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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