Elbashir Abdalla, a Sudanese filmmaker who has lived in Rwanda since 2024, realised how much he missed his neighbourhood in Khartoum only after leaving it. In Kigali, he found himself having to adjust to a new environment and build new relationships. Back home, he says, a trip to buy groceries could turn into a conversation with a shopkeeper, while getting a haircut often meant catching up with his barber. Neighbours could also stop by for an unplanned chat. In Kigali, those casual encounters were harder to find. Sudan’s civil war, which forced him to flee, erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Fighting began in Khartoum before quickly spreading nationwide, displacing millions and triggering a huge humanitarian crisis. Elbashir arrived in Rwanda in late 2024 after spending several months in Kampala, moving to Kigali to pursue his university studies and seek stability after the conflict in Sudan disrupted his life. He is an active member of Bait Al-Sudan, a community of Sudanese creatives in Rwanda working to promote cross-cultural communication and cooperation through culture, media and the arts. His country Sudan, he says, travels with him through music. He listens particularly to Mohamed El Amin, whose songs carry memories, emotions and a sense of belonging. At the same time, Rwanda has offered cultural reminders of home. Watching Rwandan cultural dances, he saw the pride Rwandans take in preserving their heritage, something that reminded him of his own roots and a shared respect for culture. For Elbashir, the future is not a choice between Rwanda and Sudan. “I see myself living between both worlds,” he said. “Rwanda feels like a second home, while Sudan will always be home.” For Mohamed Awad Mustafa, another Sudanese filmmaker and creative entrepreneur, the journey began earlier. He arrived in Rwanda in 2022 with fellow creatives after Sudan’s October 2021 military coup. The group researched potential countries based on safety, stability, infrastructure and ease of conducting business. Rwanda emerged as their choice, and they registered a media production company after arriving. Mohamed also found himself surrounded by fellow Sudanese, while similarities between the two societies made settling easier. “Rwanda has given me the alternative of home that I never expected,” he says. He argues that he does not want Sudanese identity reduced to the crisis that forced many people from their homes. “We have been through all types of atrocities throughout our history, but we still are much more than that, a very diverse nation, he says. The desire to preserve identity while building connections in Rwanda is also reflected in Bait Al-Sudan. Samah Fawzi, one of the group members, arrived in Rwanda in February 2025, her fourth and longest stop after being displaced from Khartoum. She came to Rwanda through a friend and stayed because she found safety and an opportunity to rebuild. She describes Rwanda as a place where she has the chance “to thrive, to establish a second homebase, to be part of a community.” But building that second home has also raised questions about permanence. Fawzi says the immigration and residency process has generally been straightforward, but the one-year residency permits she has received do not always provide the stability needed for long-term planning. She hopes to explore longer-term residency opportunities as she builds her future in Rwanda. Through Bait Al-Sudan, she and other Sudanese creatives are seeking to contribute to Rwandan-Sudanese exchange through culture, media and the arts. Living away from Sudan has also made Fawzi more conscious of traditions she once took for granted. She misses the hospitality of Sudanese communities, where people readily approach those in distress and homes remain open to guests. In some homes, she says, beds are placed in living rooms so visitors have somewhere to rest. “I miss those parts of our culture,” she said.
