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

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-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 violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation 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 hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to 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 United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.