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

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the United States 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 matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

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

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's capture 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 awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named 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 trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved key 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 analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons 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 deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult 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 said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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