South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned 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 UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation 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 central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require external help 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 London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport 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.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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