South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

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

While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights concerns 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 assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel 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 alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons 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 UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running 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 fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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