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

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved 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 fatalities," added 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 added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals 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 said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.