South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Companies

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder 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 experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts say the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to 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 knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, 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 key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering over 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall 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 fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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 Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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