South American Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The company remains active. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent 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 overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

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

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

Both list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were key in the fall 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," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged 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, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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