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

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

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

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel 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 serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating 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 United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently 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 seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

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

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

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily 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 external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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