South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the 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 south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured 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 genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental 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 daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help 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 UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"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 establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged 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 seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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