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

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

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

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness 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 lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national 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 sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall 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," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction 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 running UK companies.

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

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

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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