South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 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 Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions 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 luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart 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 accuses 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 owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.