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

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

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

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is active. The following day 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 corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga raises concerns 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 UK capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, 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 combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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