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

Situated close to a shiny soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a squat, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade lies a dark secret: a cramped flat connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is tied to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted 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.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in Tottenham is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for hiring contractors to combat for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is active. The following day the United States announced sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the very heart of central London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

Both hotels said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had listed their addresses.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the US government claims are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," stated an expert, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the British capital.

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

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the man at the heart 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 hiring ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual engaged in many bank transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for attacking El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one identified as a person of "significant control".

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

Impact on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft 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 long-range drones causing daily fatalities," said the analyst. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to establish a UK company," he said.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

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

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

One of the fighters 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 connected to the hiring of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying Colombians to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the safety of non-combatants, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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