13 Years in Search of Safety: A Sudanese Mother’s Long Road to Rwanda

“I did not flee for food, money, or anything else,” says Rahma Mohamed, 46, seated with her five children at the Jugurthine Medical Centre in Tripoli, Libya. “I have fled in search of one thing: safety.”

For more than a decade, Rahma has been on the move—from Sudan to Egypt to Libya—fleeing conflict, loss, and danger at every turn. But on this day, as she prepares to board a flight to Rwanda under the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM), she carries something rare: hope.

A Single Bullet That Changed Everything

Rahma’s journey began in 2012 in Ad-Damazine, the capital of Sudan’s Blue Nile State. Life was simple then, she recalls, until one morning a stray bullet pierced her home and killed her brother during breakfast.

“It was a normal morning,” she says, her voice trembling. “We were all together when the bullet struck him. He died instantly.”

That moment shattered her family’s world. Along with their neighbors, they fled with nothing but the clothes they wore, settling in the nearby village of Jalghani for three years. When they returned to Ad-Damazine, they found their hometown destroyed—houses burned, lives uprooted.

To make matters worse, her husband was forcibly conscripted. The family reunited in 2017 and moved to Khartoum, hoping to save enough to leave Sudan for good.

Disappearance and Displacement

In Khartoum, Rahma and her husband worked tirelessly. “We worked day and night,” she recalls. “He came home late after work, and I cared for the children. Then one day… he never returned.”

He disappeared without a trace. With rising insecurity and no answers, Rahma fled again—this time to Egypt in 2018, with her children in tow.

There, she registered with UNHCR, enrolled her children in school, and took up cleaning jobs. Life seemed to regain some balance—until violence found them again.

“There were gangs in the neighborhood,” Rahma says. “My sons were attacked regularly. One day I came home from work and found my eldest son, Mohamed, unconscious. He was in a coma for two days.”

Fearing for her children’s lives, Rahma made the heart-wrenching decision to flee once more—this time to Libya.

Libya: A New Chapter of Hardship

Crossing into Libya via Tobruk on foot, Rahma and her children faced another nightmare. They were arrested on arrival and detained for two months in inhumane conditions. Upon release, they headed toward Tripoli, only to be robbed and left stranded in Ajdabiya.

But amid the darkness, a spark of kindness appeared.

“Some Libyans saw me crying and helped collect money for us,” she says. “Thanks to them, we reached Tripoli.”

There, the family registered with UNHCR and received limited assistance—cash, relief items, and shelter. Yet exploitation was rampant. “We worked for a year without pay,” Rahma says. “Even my children were forced to work. We were detained again. It felt endless.”

A Flight Toward Hope

Now, as they await evacuation to Rwanda through the ETM, Rahma’s face carries something unfamiliar: peace.

“I’m leaving again—for safety,” she says. “But this time, I believe we’ll find it.”

Her children, too, look forward to a life beyond conflict. Mohamed, 19, wants to become a pharmacist—“because my mom wants me to,” he says, grinning, “and because I want to provide for my family. I’ll miss my best friend Ayman… but I hope we’ll meet again.”

Mojtaba’, 18, dreams of becoming an engineer. “It’s been too much for us,” he says. “But being together helps. I’ll always be there for my mom and my siblings.” He lowers his eyes and adds, “I miss you, Dad. I hope we make you proud.”

Rwanda: A New Beginning

Today, Rahma and her family are settling into their new life in Rwanda. Under the Emergency Transit Mechanism, they are safe at last.

“I haven’t felt this way in 13 years,” she says. “Here, there is no fear of detention, war, or abuse. People are kind. Life is beautiful.”

Her children now attend school and play football—simple joys they were denied for years. “They’re learning again,” Rahma says. “They’re laughing again. I feel alive.”

Mojtaba appreciates the freedom to learn and play. “I attend language classes and football games. I can express myself.” Mohamed echoes the sentiment: “Here, we have dignity. A clean, safe environment. It feels like we matter.”

In addition to formal education, the ETM offers vocational training—tailoring, crocheting, driving school—empowering young adults like Mohamed and Mojtaba with skills for the future.

From survival in Libya to rebuilding in Rwanda, Rahma’s family is no longer just escaping danger—they are looking ahead, dreaming again.

A Lifeline for the Displaced

The Emergency Transit Mechanism, established in Rwanda in 2019, offers a vital lifeline to vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers trapped in Libya. To date, more than 2,700 individuals have been evacuated through the program, receiving protection and assistance while pursuing durable solutions such as resettlement, voluntary return, or local integration.

For Rahma, it means something even more profound.

“Safety. Dignity. A future for my children,” she says. “That’s all I ever wanted.”