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

Tucked away close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member 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 "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture 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 daily fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, 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 atrocities in El Fasher.