South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

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

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel 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 similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

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

These aircraft 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," said the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.