South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, 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 questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London 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 camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

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 marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals 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 Ongoing Allegations

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

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light 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 UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.