South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent 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 similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

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 fatalities," said the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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