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

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans 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, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.