🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain. The company is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions 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 Covent Garden. The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses. "This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation 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 former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control". The two describe the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones. These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives. While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF. Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain. The company is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions 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 Covent Garden. The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses. "This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Operation 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 former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control". The two describe the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the War and Wider Issues The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones. These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery." They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.