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

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation 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 based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

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

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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

One of the fighters 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 linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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