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

Situated close to the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of firms implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

While reports of violence mount, links have been found between the mercenaries hired to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized recently by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the faction's capture 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 knowledge of the company's operations or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed 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 based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the mercenaries.

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

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Impact on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," 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 added that the involvement of penalized persons in a London firm underlined broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when companies are established.

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

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries 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 connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

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