South American Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Companies

Tucked away near a shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction'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 firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

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 retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help 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 London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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