South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how people openly censured 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 UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring 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 said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

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

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. 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 UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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