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

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" 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 comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

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 precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret 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 UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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