South American Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated close to a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Beyond its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim reality: a small flat linked to deadly atrocities unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per British official documents, this apartment in north London is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the large-scale hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of women and children.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As reports of atrocities increase, links have been found between the mercenaries contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The flat in north London is registered to a company named Zeuz Global, set up by two people named and penalized last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in records at the UK company registry as living in Britain.

The company is operational. The day after the United States announced sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its registered address to the very heart of London. Its new postcode matches one five-star hotel in a central district.

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

"It is of major concern that the key individuals the American authorities states are orchestrating this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in north London," said an expert, a researcher and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

Experts argue the saga highlights concerns over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a company in the UK capital.

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

When asked about the company, the registry did not respond on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the man at the centre of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His spouse was also penalized for running the agency.

Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network employing the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

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

Both describe Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the analyst. "These systems 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 UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of rigorous checks when firms are set up.

"Having a UK company like this is a license for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Continuing Claims

A UK official said that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and running 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 confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that Emirati business people supplying fighters to the RSF were linked 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 protection of civilians, and the removal of obstacles to aid delivery."

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