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

Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse 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 verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, 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 alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named 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 Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were 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 remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"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.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

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

One of the fighters recently admitted 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 recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.