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

Situated near a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a dark secret: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan 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 blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation highlights concerns over how people 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 condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April of this year, the penalized figures registered a company in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for drones.

These aircraft were key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

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

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Having 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 fitness centre 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 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 apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

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

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.