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

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is tied to a international network of firms involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters hired to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Linked to Censured Company

The flat in north London is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The following day the United States announced restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the saga raises concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a key part in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

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

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a company in the UK capital 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 capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one identified as a key controller.

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

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added 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 deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK firms.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian access."

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