ZAMZAM, 22 October 2008 (IRIN) - Adam, who prefers to be known by this one name, is an internally displaced person (IDP) in an IDP camp in Zamzam, North Darfur. He fled there from his village of Um Hashaba in the same province in 2003, hoping finally to find safety. But last month, even this sanctuary was violated. He told IRIN what happened:
"Four vehicles entered the camp filled with men wearing police khaki uniforms. They didn't say a thing. They just entered and started shooting.
"They called to me. I started running. They shot me in the back before I got the chance to escape.
"The shooting went on for an hour and 15 minutes. No one could raise their heads.
"I have a store selling cell phones and cigarettes at the market. They stole 'shishas' [water pipes], cigarettes, money. They emptied the store.
"What can I do? I have nothing to fight back with.
"The bullet remains in my back. To remove the bullet, I need money for surgery. They took all my money.
"I still feel the pain. I could have died, but God is generous."
ha/cb
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