South American Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring 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 read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help 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 UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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