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

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

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 expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling 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 mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.