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 block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of companies involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, links have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war 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 seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part 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 firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed 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 assaulting El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans 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, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "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 UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having 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 stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected 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 atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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