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

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-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 increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved 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 link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

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

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret 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 UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected 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 obstacles to humanitarian access."

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