South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated near a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous 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 combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

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

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network 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 hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian 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 handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. 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 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 recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

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

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport 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.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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

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 instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end 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 atrocities in El Fasher.