South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number 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 widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

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

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

Network Led by Former Soldier

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 based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones 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 long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said 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 noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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