South American Contractors in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

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 firm in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children 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 investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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