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

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation highlights questions 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 British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man 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 having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling 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 confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.