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

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

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government 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 ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned 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 sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

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 profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental 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 daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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