Programme 5: 4th December 2006

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In 2003, Mukesh Kapila was headhunted by the United Nations to lead its programme in Sudan.  Within months, he was approached by a young woman from the then little-known province of Darfur - the meeting was to have devastating consequences for Kapila's career.  She told him she had just been gang raped by Sudanese soldiers and militia. 

After persistently being ignored by his UN superiors, Kapila defied their orders and went directly to the BBC to highlight to ongoing genocide and his own organisation's inaction.  That Today Programme interview - on March 19th 2004 - made Darfur a household name, but cost Kapila his future at the UN.  On Monday night, he explains the circumstances which made him a reluctant whistleblower.