South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities 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 widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States 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 one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

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

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport 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 said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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