South American Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's 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.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital 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 capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting 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 UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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