A student escaped the civil war in Sudan and embarked on a perilous four-month journey dodging bullets and surviving arrest to start his Masters course with just hours to spare at the University of Warwick’s Business School.

When the civil war broke out between Sudan’s military and a paramilitary group in April, Amin Elsheikh, 27, had to flee for his life from his home in the capital, Khartoum, where the fiercest fighting was.

With rebel militia soldiers blocking all routes out of the city, Amin was forced to go through a dozen checkpoints. At one point he was arrested and held for half a day because soldiers had found a few US dollars on him. At another point his bus driver had to swerve out of the way of gunfire.

The ordeal continued as the bus then made a 15-hour journey cross-country to the Ethiopian border. Amin and his fellow passengers feared that any moment the bus could be attacked by looters or rebel gangs.



“I feared for my life,” Amin said. “Even when we got to the border crossing at Gallabat it was unsafe. There were large crowds. There was a collective sigh of relief when we departed again towards Gondar in Ethiopia.

“Looking back on it, I feel lucky to be alive. But millions still stuck in Sudan are not so lucky.

“The situation is dire. Some of my family remain in the country, and in recent weeks I have lost contact with them because the militia have decided to cut all networks in the areas they control.”

Amin’s hardships did not end in Ethiopia however. Reaching Gondar by nightfall, he was then advised to lie low amid anti-government unrest in the city.



Then there was the problem of his passport. In his hurry to escape Khartoum, Amin had been unable to retrieve his passport at a visa application centre very close to the fighting, and had been forced to travel on an old travel document past its expiry date.

It did not matter in Ethiopia but it would with other countries.

So, even when Amin managed to reach the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, a two-month battle ensued to find someone to rescue his passport back in Khartoum, and get his paperwork in order for the onward journey to Dubai, and finally, London.

Finally, on the evening of September 24, 2023 – four months after he had left his home in Khartoum – Amin arrived at the University of Warwick campus.

The very next day he started his Full-time Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

The Sudanese professional, who has Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Khartoum and subsequently worked for DAL Group, says he is extremely thankful to Warwick Business School for its response during his ordeal.

He had been initially scheduled to start his MBA in September 2024, but when the war broke out the School agreed to bring his course entry forward. What’s more, it agreed to top up his scholarship.

“To provide me with a scholarship in my hour of need was a truly wonderful gesture,” Amin said.

He added: “My heart is still at home in Sudan, and I would love to return and help rebuild my country.”

 
“But at the moment the war is getting worse and the country is on the verge of famine.”