🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. London Flat Linked to Censured Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The firm remains active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Analysts say the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the figure 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 accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money 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 official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm 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 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control". The two describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the War and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide. Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children. Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives. As reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London. London Flat Linked to Censured Company The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom. The firm remains active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden. Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses. "It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks Analysts say the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the figure 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 accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money 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 official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm 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 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control". The two describe the UK as their "place of residency". Effect on the War and Broader Concerns The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support." He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations. A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.