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

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

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

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

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

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

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions 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 Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall 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 fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

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

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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