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

Situated near a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

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

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question 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 American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment 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 attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 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 listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems 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 involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

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

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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