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

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April 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 camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

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

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

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business 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 said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology 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 UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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