🔗 Share this article South American Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain. The company is operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company 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 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. Both list Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder 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 stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children 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 Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians. Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London. UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain. The company is operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden. Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks Experts argue the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital. The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide. When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals. Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Operation Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries. "During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read. Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company 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 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller. Both list Britain as their "country of residence". Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft. These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance." He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established. "Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder 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 stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children 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 Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims. A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.