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

Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

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

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

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

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans 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 United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.