South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation raises questions 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 UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors 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 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 UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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