South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Situated close to a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment linked to murderous atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in the African nation alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a corporation called Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in documents at Companies House as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company operating from a apartment in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals 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 condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" 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, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or verify the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network 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 former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted numerous bank transactions, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

The two list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be soldiers, as well as serving 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 hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, prompting an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently confirmed 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 the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to aid delivery."

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