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

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

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

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre 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 alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

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

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals 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 government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology 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 supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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