South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing 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 killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

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

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were 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," added the analyst. "These systems 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 penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning 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 said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" 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 expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, 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 senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.