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

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved 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 cost over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

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

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

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

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Operation Led 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 Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children 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 fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

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

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the fighters 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 the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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