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

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

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

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America 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 the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," 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 noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated 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 emerged last year, prompting 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 United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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