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

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a grim secret: a cramped flat connected to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their postcodes.

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government claims are directing this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Experts say the situation raises concerns over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

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

Network Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network 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 central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a company alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted 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 penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

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

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat 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 external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement 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 passport for criminals to do deals with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK companies.

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 fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.