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

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores 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 armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises 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 company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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