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

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The company remains active. The following day the United States 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 five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals 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 censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

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

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having 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 establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged 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 seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters 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 atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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