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

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one 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 used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run 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 accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network 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 having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence 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 gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" 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 emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. 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 calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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