South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small flat linked to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the saga highlights questions 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 company in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved key 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 remote aircraft 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 added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies 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 fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

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

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