South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

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

While reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

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

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central 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 listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run 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 questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, 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 Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key 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 regular fatalities," said the expert. "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 participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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