South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

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

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located 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 Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London 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 transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two list the UK 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 trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official 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 role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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