South American Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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 displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

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

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.