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

Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "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 involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running 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 United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

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

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