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

Tucked away near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm is operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, 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.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured 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 condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"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.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

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

He added that the involvement 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 legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout 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 expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official 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 recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.