South American Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-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 hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions 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 British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per 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 located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved 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 long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business 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 said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans 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 connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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