🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians. These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm is operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Led by Former Soldier According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones. These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established. "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 establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Continuing Claims A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat 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 Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians. These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives. As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The firm is operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Led by Former Soldier According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher. The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control". Both describe the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones. These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established. "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 establish a UK company," he said. Government Response and Continuing Claims A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat 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 Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.