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

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s 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’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. 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 London. Its updated address corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, 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".

The two describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report 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 UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.