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

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

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

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

The firm is operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation 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 central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

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

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms 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.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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