South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

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 RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors 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 expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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