South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"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 said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light 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 supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.