© SOS MEDITERRANEE / Alisha Vaya
SOS MEDITERRANEE / Alisha Vaya
Sudan
Country
23
Age
11.6.2024
Rescue Date

Amani* is 23 years old and comes from Sudan. He was rescued on the 6th of November 2024 from a wooden boat in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region.

He was among 140 people on a double decker boat which was heavily overcrowded and listing dangerously when the team of the Ocean Viking arrived on scene.

© SOS MEDITERRANEE / Alisha Vaya
SOS MEDITERRANEE / Alisha Vaya

 

I come from Darfur, in Sudan. At the moment, the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group, are attacking people in my region.

They force people from our region to join their militia, then they force you to kill people. If you don’t join them, they kill you. They rape women and destroy villages. If I fled to other parts of the country, people would think I am part of this group because of my accent, so I am in danger there too.

I decided to leave the country for my safety. On my way to Libya, I was left 20km from the border, I crossed at night, and once in the other side, I hid in a farm until the morning. I saw the bowl where there was water for the chicken, and I had to drink it to continue through the desert’s burning sun. Eventually, I made my way to the coast, and with the financial help of my family, I was able to attempt the crossing of the Mediterranean.

 

© SOS MEDITERRANEE / Camille Martin Juan
SOS MEDITERRANEE / Camille Martin Juan

 

Amani has 9 siblings. He has worked as a gold miner, and holds a diploma in Information Technology, as well as certificates of seafarer from the time he lived in Port Sudan.

He spent his time onboard reading and wishes to continue his education in Europe.

Photos of Amani: By Camille Martin Juan & Alisha Vaya

We change the name of the survivor to protect his identity.

Latest testimonies

A dark ship interior looking out through large windows at the sea under moonlight. The ocean and sh

Neerav

Neerav, a 32-year-old father of two from Bangladesh, was among 139 people rescued on November 6th from an unseaworthy wooden boat in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region. He spent over 10 hours on the lower deck with dozens of others, surrounded by fuel fumes and struggling to breathe.

Aerial view of a rescue ship at sea with four small boats approaching it in curved paths across dee

Kojo

Kojo*, a 20-year-old from Ghana, was rescued on November 6, 2024, along with 37 other people. They were found in a rubber boat in the Maltese Search and Rescue Region. 

Sunset over the sea viewed from a ship’s deck, with soft clouds and orange light in the sky.

Drissa

Drissa, age 25, left Mali due to violent attacks by armed groups in his village. On February 23, 2025, he was rescued from a fiberglass boat in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region. His account reflects the risks faced by many individuals fleeing conflict in the Sahel region.