South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

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

As reports of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man 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 alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting 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 managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked 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 this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

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

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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