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

Tucked away close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

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

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of 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 online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

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 alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily 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 involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

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 setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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