South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction'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 comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones 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 noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"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 establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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