South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

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

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

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

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

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

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