South American Contractors in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

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

While reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

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

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

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

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

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 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 Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added 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 participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors 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 the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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