South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture 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 accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation 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.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

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

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, 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 company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre 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 accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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 emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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