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

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

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

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

While accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This 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 operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current 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 seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

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

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.