South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, 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 triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, 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.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

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

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges 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 penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology 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 linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

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

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