Al-Baqir Mukhtar

Dr. Al-Baqir al-Afif Mukhtar, an esteemed human rights advocate, directs the Al Khatim Adlan Center for Enlightenment and Human Development (KACE) in Khartoum, Sudan. Founded in 2007, KACE is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting peace, human rights, and democratic reforms. Under Dr. Mukhtar’s leadership, KACE has focused on various programs, including peace and human rights, educational reform, and cultural initiatives.

In June 2016, Dr. Mukhtar faced significant challenges when Sudanese State Security personnel conducted raids on his family members’ homes and arrested the entire staff of the Khartoum Centre for Training and Human Development (TRACKS), including his brother. This action was condemned by human rights defenders worldwide as a severe violation of human rights.

Earlier, in 2013, the Sudanese government revoked KACE’s registration and shut down several NGOs advocating for human rights, claiming they were pursuing political agendas. In response, Dr. Mukhtar filed a legal petition with the Sudan Human Rights Commission, highlighting the systematic attack on independent civil society groups in Sudan.

Dr. Mukhtar has also served as a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and as the MENA regional campaign coordinator at Amnesty International in London. He has extensively lectured on the Darfur peace process, emphasizing the conflict’s roots in marginalized identities and advocating for inclusive solutions to the crisis affecting the region’s 1.8 million inhabitants.

Through his work, Dr. Mukhtar continues to champion human rights and democracy, striving to bring attention to the plight of marginalized communities and advocating for systemic change in Sudan.