South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants 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 cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

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

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Government Response 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 running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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