South American Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

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

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led 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 Gulf state.

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

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

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

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors 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 stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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 fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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