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

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart 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 playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many 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 the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key 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 remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source 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 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 seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. 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 UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.