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

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure 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 accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

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

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

The firm remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

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

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, 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 long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having 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.

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 establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement 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 instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked 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 repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.