🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. As accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. UK Address Connected to Censured Firm The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated 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 states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Experts say the situation highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Led by Retired Officer Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a central role 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 individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called 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 capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller. The two list the UK as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support." He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring 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 British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives. As accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. UK Address Connected to Censured Firm The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF. Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated 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 states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Experts say the situation highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details. Operation Led by Retired Officer Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of playing a central role 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 individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called 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 capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller. The two list the UK as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support." He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring 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 British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.