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

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

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

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key 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 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 added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

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 seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.