South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim secret: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals 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 "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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 precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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

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

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.