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

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured 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 censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the capture 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 civilian deaths," said 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 added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence 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 the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment 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 repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.