South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based 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 Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"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 Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction 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 setting up and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries 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 recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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