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

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

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

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this 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 displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key 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 regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" 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 trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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