South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by British-Based Companies

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

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company remains operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection 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 orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental 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 regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"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 gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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 admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

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

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