South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small flat linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of 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.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction'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 operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement 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 criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout 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 admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.