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

Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a small flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

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

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to 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 "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network 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 playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the capture 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," added 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 added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected 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 non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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