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

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure 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 accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

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

These drones were key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors 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 said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" 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 Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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 linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, 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 crimes in El Fasher.