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

Situated near the shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains active. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

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

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous 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 named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals 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 new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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