South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

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

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

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

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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 arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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