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

Situated near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based 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 Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology 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 hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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