South American Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds 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 armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

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

As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern 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," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military 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 sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

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

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

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 snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft 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 regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport 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 stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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