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

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to murderous 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 network of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries 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 cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a 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 listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war 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 "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond 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 online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced 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 external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. 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 Ongoing Allegations

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

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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