Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected 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 transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up 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 admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.