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

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread 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 sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre 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 "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.