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

Tucked away close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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