South American Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of firms involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – 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 imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting 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 the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall 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," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons 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 criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged 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 fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians 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 halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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