South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "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 lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected 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 repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.