South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two 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 conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons 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 set up.

"Owning 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 stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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