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

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

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

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

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

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" 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, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed 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 former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing 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 official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 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 Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two list the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license 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.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.