South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure 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 awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

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 central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental 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 daily fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted 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 recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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