South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a small flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure 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 having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said 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 involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat 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 Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.