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

Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental 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 long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

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

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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