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

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm remains active. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent 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 business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, 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 "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course 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 drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

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

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

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters 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 demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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