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

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

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

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

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. 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 central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how individuals openly censured 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 British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

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 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 employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In April 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 seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two describe the UK as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and pilots for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

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

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

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