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

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry 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 registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

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

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym 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 "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.