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

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury announced 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 luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions 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 UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries 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 providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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