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

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark secret: a small flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned 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, torture and assault" following the faction'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 location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to 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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running 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 trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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