South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to 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 "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network 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 citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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 wife was also penalized for running the firm.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons 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 involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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

The Colombians’ involvement 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 UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians 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 demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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