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

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of women and children.

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

As reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, 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 fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"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 set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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