South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the 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 reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

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

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat 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 investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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