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

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed 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 triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm is operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions 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 Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern 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," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights 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 firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" 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 respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man 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 playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, 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 describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult 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 "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal 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.