''Against a Tide of Evil'' is a 2013 memoir by

Mukesh Kapila Mukesh Kapila M.D. CBE (born 1955) is an author, medical doctor, professor and senior humanitarian. He is a specialist in crisis and conflict management, humanitarian affairs, post-conflict and development, and HIV/AIDS. He has worked for th ...

about his time leading the United Nations in Sudan during the

Darfur genocide The Darfur genocide is the systematic killing of ethnic Darfuri people which has occurred during the ongoing conflict in Western Sudan. It has become known as the first genocide of the 21st century. The genocide, which is being carried out agai ...

Publication

''Against a Tide of Evil'' was written by former United Nations diplomat Mukesh Kapila and published in 2013 by Mainstream Publishing.

Synopsis

''Against a Tide of Evil'' documents the experiences of the author as he is deployed to Sudan as the most senior representative of the United Nations. Kapila is based in

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

as violence flares in Darfur during the genocide between 2003 and 2004. Kapila quickly becomes a whistleblower, reporting his analysis of the Sudanese government's role in the ethically-targeted violence, including sexual violence. Kapila is shocked when the United Nations' enquiry concludes that actions of the Sudanese government do not amount to genocide. The author is critical of the United Nations and argues that the world ignored the genocide in Darfur, despite the warnings that he and others made at the time.

Critical reception

Kapila's writing is described as disarmingly personal by British academic Carol Kingston-Smith. Kingston-Smith credits the book for dealing with complexity, raising awareness and inviting the reader to reflect on their role in the world.

References

{{reflist 2013 non-fiction books Books about Sudan Books about genocide denial Mainstream Publishing books