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

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

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

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

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

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

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 apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat 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 acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

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

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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