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

Tucked away near the shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

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

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights 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 firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors 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, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.