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

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

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

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

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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 precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems 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 involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

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

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed 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 hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson 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 commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.