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

Situated near a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of 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.

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network 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 playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance 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 expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

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

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