South American Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a squat, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary facade lies a grim reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is tied to a transnational web of firms implicated in the large-scale recruitment of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside paramilitaries accused of myriad atrocities and genocide.

Scores of Ex- South American Soldiers Recruited

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction responsible for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ 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, connections have been found between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Sanctioned Company

The flat in Tottenham is listed to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the very heart of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

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

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company based from a flat in north London," said Mike Lewis, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over UK Company Checks

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

The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture 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, Companies House did not comment on whether it had awareness of the firm’s operations or confirm the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its online site, set up in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with lacking information.

Operation Headed by Former Soldier

Per the US treasury, the man at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of having a central role in hiring ex-military personnel to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for running the agency.

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

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

Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict

In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in north London called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

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

Both list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a profound impact on the course of the war, experts state. These fighters have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in surrounding areas.

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

He noted that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the lack of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Having a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Continuing Claims

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK firms.

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, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official 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 recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.