South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

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

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights questions 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 British 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 accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man 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 alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance 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 underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals 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 violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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