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

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

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

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

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

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

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

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to 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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted many bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals 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 said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing 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 confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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