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

Tucked away close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding 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 large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence increase, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Censured Company

The flat in north London is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

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

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the figure at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the firm.

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

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

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

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

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

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and pilots for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted wider worries over the absence 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 more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

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

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

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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