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

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes taking place 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 recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man 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 Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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