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

Situated close to the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

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

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per 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 Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

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

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

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology 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, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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