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

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- 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 responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants 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.

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 Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to 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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

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

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones 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 external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals 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.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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