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

Tucked away near a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim secret: a cramped flat linked to deadly crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man at the centre 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 recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration 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, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named 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 War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved instrumental 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 remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons 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 involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns 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 gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling 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 admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing 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 calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.