South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries 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 named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret 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 UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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