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

Situated close to a shiny football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

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

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

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

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation 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 recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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 guided weapons and long-range drones causing daily civilian deaths," added the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official 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 apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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