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

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure 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 firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling 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 mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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