South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a small flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

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

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states 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 United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture 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 knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based 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 Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called 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 seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved 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 daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement 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 arming the RSF, has also been linked 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 British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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