Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," 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 broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

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 admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.