South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure 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 Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring 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 business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance 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 broader concerns 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 stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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 controlling UK firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.