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

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

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

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

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

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

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture 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, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

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

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre 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 company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries 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 Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.