South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The company remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions 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 five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to 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 "organized murder, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries 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 deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital 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 camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

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 trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm 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 harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up 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 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 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 calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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