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

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches a luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man 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 accuses this individual of playing a central role in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular fatalities," said the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, prompting an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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