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

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a small flat linked to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured 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 "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

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

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the capture 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 daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. 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 "mandatory identity verification" for company directors 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 confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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