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

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The company remains active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel 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 also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

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

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were key in the fall 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 analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence 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 Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently confirmed that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought 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 supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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