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

Tucked away close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a small flat connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The company is operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said 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 noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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