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

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK 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 trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved 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 daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout 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 emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat 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 linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.