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

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in London is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a dark secret: a small flat connected to deadly atrocities 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 implicated in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the systematic killing of women and children.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of violence increase, connections have been identified between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the US treasury for recruiting 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 remains operational. The following day the US treasury announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches a five-star hotel in a central district.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their addresses.

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a apartment in north London," stated Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the saga highlights concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with genocide.

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

Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer based in the Gulf state.

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

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its capture, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have allegedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing daily fatalities," added the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this outside support."

He added that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

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

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to aid delivery."

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