South American Contractors in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified 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 described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused 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 verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

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

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" 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, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

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

A British government spokesperson commented: "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 imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.