South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The company is operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, 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, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse 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 Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

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 fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.