South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

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

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

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for running 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 associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These weapons 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 broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up 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 greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

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

The United Arab Emirates, 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 fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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