South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies
Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.
Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.
Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited
Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.
These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.
While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.
UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm
The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.
Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain.
The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to 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 orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.
Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks
Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war 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, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.
When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.
Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.
Operation Led by Retired Officer
Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.
The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.
Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.
"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms 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 spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called 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 camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.
The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.
Both list Britain as their "place of residency".
Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues
The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.
These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.
"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems 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 sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.
"Owning 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 said.
Government Response and Continuing Claims
A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.
The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.
One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.
The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.
A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."
They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.