🔗 Share this article Colombian Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the 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. As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Censured Firm The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named 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 – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The company remains active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district. The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how people 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 UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Headed by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both describe Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery." They noted 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 the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the 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. As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital. UK Address Connected to Censured Firm The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named 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 – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain. The company remains active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district. The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes. "It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how people 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 UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information. Network Headed by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency. Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher. The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control". Both describe Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the War and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support." He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established. "Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies. The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery." They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.