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

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities 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 involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

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

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized recently by the US treasury for hiring 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 company remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction'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 respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

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

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. 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 holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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