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

Situated near the gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to murderous crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is tied to a international web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside paramilitaries accused of numerous atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"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 operating from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts say the saga highlights questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

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

When questioned about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s activities or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the centre of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of having a central role in recruiting ex-military personnel to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

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

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

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 course of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as acting as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones were 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 fatalities," added the expert. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for criminals 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 said.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors 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 admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, repeatedly alleged of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an halt to atrocities, the safety of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the crimes in El Fasher.