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

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a small flat linked to deadly crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of companies involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

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

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, 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 hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

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

"Having 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 said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

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

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.