A nondescript block of flats near Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London has been linked to a transnational network accused of recruiting mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group accused by the United States of genocide and widespread war crimes.

According to UK government records and a Guardian investigation, a one bedroom flat on Creighton Road was registered as the address of a company called Zeuz Global. The company was set up earlier this year by two individuals later sanctioned by the US Treasury for their alleged roles in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for the RSF in Sudan.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been deployed to Sudan to support the RSF, which has been accused of mass kil-lings, sexual violence and ethnic cleansing. Analysts say Colombian mercenaries were involved in the RSF seizure of El Fasher in late October, an offensive that followed months of violence in which at least 60,000 people are estimated to have been kil-led.

US sanctions documents identify the central figure in the recruitment network as Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned for managing a Bogotá based employment agency allegedly used to recruit fighters. Another sanctioned individual, Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian Spanish national, is accused of managing payments and finances for the network.

Companies House records show that Duque and Oliveros registered ODP8 Ltd in April with £10,000 in capital. The company was later renamed Zeuz Global. Oliveros is listed as a person of significant control and describes the United Kingdom as her country of residence. Duque was appointed a director in July and is also listed as resident in the UK.

Following the announcement of US sanctions on December 9, Zeuz Global updated its registered address to a central London postcode associated with luxury hotels in Aldwych. Both hotels said they had no connection to the company.

Experts have raised concerns about how individuals sanctioned for fuelling the conflict in Sudan were able to register and operate a UK company. UK officials said recent reforms introducing mandatory identity verification for company directors are intended to strengthen oversight.

The UK government has condemned RSF atrocities and said it has sanctioned RSF commanders over violence in El Fasher, while calling for civilian protection and humanitarian access across Sudan.