Colombian Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

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

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war 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 assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

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 accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental 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 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 participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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