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

Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre 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 ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing 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 named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult 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 new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" 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, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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