South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned 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 Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the capture 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," said the expert. "These weapons require external help 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 UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

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

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.