Translator from Darfur 5:30:

The book opens with Daoud Hari and a British journalist speeding through the African desert. Suddenly they are blocked by six rebel trucks, and it’s one of many instances where Daoud Hari barely escapes with his life. One reason he’s alive is that he knows his territory. This former diplomat says Daoud Hari knows roads others can’t even see. Daoud Hari had the misfortune of returning home to Darfur in 2003 just after war broke out; he had been working outside the country for a few years. as he was heading home, refugees were fleeing home in the opposite direction and arrived home as his town was being attacked. Daoud Hari then used his English skills to help translate for aid worker, and then for journalists. For him it was the alternative to joining the rebels. He wanted to let the international community know what was happening in Darfur, which often meant he helped sneak journalists across the border. This diplomat says a big danger was the prospect of being caught by the Sudanese government and was helping to expose what was really happening in Darfur. He also risked being seen as a spy on both sides of the Chad-Sudan border, but fear never stopped him. It was with an Americna reporter when Hari’s luck ran out and he was captured and handed over to the Sudanese government. Hari was tortured. Eventually he was released and won refugee status in the US. this diplomat says Hari highlights the dangers of humanitarian work in Darfur. Now in the US, he has written his story, teaming up with two other journalists. There are brutal stories in the book, but also lyrical ones.