South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult 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 "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.