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

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

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

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

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction'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 knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

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

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

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

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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