South American Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the 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.

While accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises concerns 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 UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental 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 remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, 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 fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.