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

Tucked away close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, nondescript block of flats. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational web of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread murder 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 killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of violence mount, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The company is active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its updated address matches one luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

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

The British foreign secretary has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with acts of genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved fruitless; its online site, set up in May, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Retired Officer

According to the American authorities, the man 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 employment agency. His wife was also penalized for running the firm.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business alleged of handling funds and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, slaughtering more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "initial shareholdings" 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 Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the course of the war, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

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

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when companies are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

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

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these claims.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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