South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

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

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

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

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.