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

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade exists a grim secret: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used 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 the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Analysts say the saga raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent 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 payroll for the network hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals set up a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular 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 external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals 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 stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

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

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

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