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

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre 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 accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added 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 involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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