South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

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.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment 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 online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

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

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children 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 the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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