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

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm remains active. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

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 alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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