South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture 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 knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked 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 planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list 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 trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers 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 apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters 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 report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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