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

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

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

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures 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," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to 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 "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure 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 accuses 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 owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to many 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 re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall 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 expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals 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 Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. 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 UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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