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

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a dark secret: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were key participants in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which sparked a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two individuals identified and penalized recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at Companies House as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to one luxury accommodation in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had listed their addresses.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Analysts argue the situation raises questions over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and assault" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, the registry did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

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

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

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

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

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

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

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

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These drones were key 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 daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors 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 said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A government source said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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