South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript block of flats. Beyond its ordinary facade exists a dark reality: a small flat connected to murderous atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in the capital is connected to a transnational network of companies implicated in the large-scale recruitment of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Company

The apartment in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The firm remains operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

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

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the American authorities states are directing this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how people openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a company 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 accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Reaching out to Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per 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 based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for running the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company alleged of processing money and salaries for the network employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in official UK documents as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

Both describe the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a profound impact on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have allegedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for unmanned aircraft.

These drones proved instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

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

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when companies are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors 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 said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first emerged last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to violence, the protection 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.