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

Tucked away near the shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants 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 accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been identified between the mercenaries hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the centre of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Experts say the situation highlights 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 UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the penalized people.

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

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a key part in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling 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 the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved 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 expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source 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, 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 seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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