South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat 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 operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure 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 activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. 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 employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"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 gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running 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 mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat 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 UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety 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.