South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies
Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.
Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted
A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.
Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.
As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.
UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm
The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.
Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.
The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.
The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.
"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.
Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks
Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.
The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.
When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.
Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.
Network Headed by Retired Officer
Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.
The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.
Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.
"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.
Company Registration and Escalating Violence
In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.
Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.
The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.
The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".
Impact on the War and Broader Concerns
The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.
These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.
"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance 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 London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.
"Having 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 fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.
Government Response and Ongoing Allegations
A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.
The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.
One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.
The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.
A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."
They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.