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

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction'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 knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed 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 business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"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 set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters 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 recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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