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

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure 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, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure 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 former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm 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 seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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