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

Situated near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons 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 penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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 confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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