South American Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

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

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict 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 "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children 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 hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report 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 said: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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