South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated 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 American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were 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 remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.