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

Situated near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small flat connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights 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 assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement 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 assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "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 involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to 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 seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected 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 civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.