South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight 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 company remains active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged 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 confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

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

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones 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 involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying 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 demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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