South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants 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 at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm remains active. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused 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 confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted 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 registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental 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 long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport 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 said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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