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

Situated close to the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing 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 sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the saga raises concerns 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 UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the US treasury, the man 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 Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

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

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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