What are some of the challenges you face as a semi-outsider researching this conflict? I say semi-outsider because your work in Sudan predates the current conflict in Darfur (though not all of the underlying causes) but, at the same time, you are not Sudanese.

When discussing Darfur do you feel you have the optimal balance of perspective and depth of knowledge? Or, should these Sudanese voice be given more credibility than outsiders? I know, for example, that the best data for mortality usually comes from Western NGOs, the UN, etc. Should true outsiders to Sudan be viewed as role-players in this discourse? Or, when they venture away from number crunching and into opinion, are they able to give an accurate account of the situation?

Furthermore, how can we assess the accuracy of various opinions? Ideally, as scientists, we should focus on numbers, but we often need to find an aggregate (yet unspecific) feeling for a given situation and write about it.