🔗 Share this article South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers 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 sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Censured Firm The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts say the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer 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 former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of the current 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 capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting 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 Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones. These drones proved key in the capture 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 daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons 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 participation 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 deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running 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 mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide. Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers 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 sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians. These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. While reports of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Connected to Censured Firm The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district. The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes. "It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks Experts say the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide. When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people. Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details. Network Headed by Retired Officer 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 former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency. Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read. Company Registration and Escalating Violence In April of the current 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 capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting 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 Britain as their "country of residence". Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones. These drones proved key in the capture 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 daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons 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 participation 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 deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said. Official Reaction and Continuing Claims A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running 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 mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims. A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery." They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.