South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

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

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK 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 accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

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.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.