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

Tucked away near a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture 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.

While reports of violence increase, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

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

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 American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation highlights concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture 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 Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, 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 accuses this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

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

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning 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 establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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