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

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

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

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

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

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Network Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian 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 alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London 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 capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction 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 expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries 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 hiring 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 repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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