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

Tucked away near the gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its ordinary facade exists a grim reality: a cramped flat linked to deadly atrocities taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Hundreds of Ex- South American Soldiers Enlisted

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the RSF's seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the city of London.

UK Address Connected to Censured Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and penalized last week by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm is operational. The day after the United States imposed restrictions on those behind the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

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

"This is of serious worry that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight

Analysts say the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the civil war in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged 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 activities or confirm the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US alleges this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and salaries for the operation employing the Colombian fighters.

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

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures set up a firm in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to Colombian mercenaries, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are named in Companies House records as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The hiring of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, experts state. These nationals have reportedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require external help to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this outside support."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of rigorous checks when companies are established.

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

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and controlling UK companies.

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

One of the mercenaries recently confirmed that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of the contractors. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A UK official said: "The UK is calling for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

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