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

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"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 based from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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