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"I cannot wait to see a peaceful Darfur"

Fatuma Abdalah an IDP in her compound in El Fasher, Dafur. Sudan August 8, 2007. Gabriel Galwak/IRIN
    EL FASHER

    Fatuma Abdalah fled her home near the Sudan-Chad border two years ago when her village was attacked and the family home destroyed. Now living in El Fasher town, North Darfur, the mother of six talks about her daily struggles and hopes for peace in the conflict-ridden region.

    "When we were brought here we had suffered a lot, our homes had been burnt. We were displaced from our homes, then picked up by aeroplane and dropped here in 2005. We came from Tiina near Chad. Others fled to Chad.

    "My husband has no job and is very sick. Even if there may be a job for him to do he is not well enough. Now it is only me struggling to feed our family. I do various odd jobs like washing and cleaning work in homes around here. Life is hard.

    "We need peace in Darfur. We do not want the Sudanese to die; we do not want to see Sudanese people displaced. I just pray the government works hard to bring peace in our region so that we can return to our homes and be reunited with our relatives.

    "I have never returned home and it will be hard for me to go back. If we have peace, then I will go back, but if there is no peace and the government tells us to return, I will not go.

    "I am here with my children. I have six and my co-wife has four. It is we the women who are providing for our family, the children’s fees and food for the entire family.

    "Still it is not safe here in El Fasher. You hear shooting here and there. We live in fear. We hear of a UN peacekeeping force about to come and ongoing peace negotiations. I cannot wait to see a peaceful Darfur, peace from west to east and north to south."

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    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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