South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches 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 used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga 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 UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

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

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