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

Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, 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 long-range drones causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

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

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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