South American Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated near the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The following day the United States announced 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 a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

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 alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

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

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "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 involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat 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 UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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