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

Tucked away near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited 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’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. The following day the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the situation highlights concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture 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 knowledge of the firm’s activities or verify the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in May, was marked as "under construction" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per 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 having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of handling funds and salaries for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

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

The sanctioned individuals are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

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

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The hiring of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," said the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance 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 underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

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 firms.

The Colombians’ involvement 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 instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.