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

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day 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 updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.