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

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries 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 experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The firm remains active. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned 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 UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

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

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting 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 list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular 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 added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals 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 Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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