South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war 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, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems 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 UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors 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 stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans 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 fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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