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

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains 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 central London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat 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 the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the company's activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

Both list the UK as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the capture 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 regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged 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, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing 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 demanding an halt to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

They noted that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.