South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to deadly atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company remains operational. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels said 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 directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling 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 condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

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

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

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

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

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

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

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

They added that the UK had recently sanctioned RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.