South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

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

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting 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 more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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