Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators 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 hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons 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 sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms 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 gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" 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 the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.