Nasredeen Abdulbari () is a Sudanese-American author, lawyer, and human rights advocate who became the Minister of Justice on 9 September 2019 in the transitional cabinet of

Abdalla Hamdok Abdalla Hamdok Al-Kinani (also transliterated ''Abdallah'', ''Hamdouk'', '' AlKinani''; ar, عبدالله حمدوك الكناني; born 1 January 1956) is a Sudanese public administrator who served as the 15th Prime Minister of Sudan from 20 ...

, during the

2019 Sudanese transition to democracy Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Musi ...

Early life and education

Abdulbari was born to a

Fur Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...

family in Khartoum, Sudan in 1986. Kalthoum Ismail was his mother. When his older siblings were young, Abdulbari's family moved to

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 ...

for better educational opportunities. However, shortly afterwards, his father returned to Darfur, leaving Ismail to raise Abdulbari and his 6 siblings. As a child, Abdulbari studied English. After completing primary schooling, Abdulbari studied at the

University of Khartoum The University of Khartoum (U of K) ( ar, جامعة الخرطوم) is a public university located in Khartoum, Sudan. It is the largest and oldest university in Sudan. UofK was founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902 and established in 195 ...

, where he also served as a teaching assistant and later a lecturer in the department of international comparative law. He taught public international law, conflict of laws, and introduction to the English Legal courses. At the University of Khartoum, Abdulbari also met Mohammed Hassan Eltaishi, who would later represent the Sudanese government in peace talks with rebel groups.

Life abroad

After teaching abroad, Abdulbari received a scholarship from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

to continue studying law, where he would receive a

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...

in 2008. In 2018, Abdulbari married his wife, a Sudanese doctor in Britain. Abdulbari would move to London and later

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where he would study at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

until he was appointed Minister of Justice on 9 September 2019, as he was putting the final touches on his doctoral dissertation. While serving as Minister of Justice, he was able to successfully defend his doctoral dissertation and earn a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Minister of Justice

Abdulbari was appointed Minister of Justice on 9 September 2019, while he was still living in the United States. As Minister of Justice, Abdulbari has worked to increase the rights of Sudanese citizens and especially women, including the repeal of the Public Order Laws that restricted women's rights in December 2019. Abdulbari has also advocated for Sudan to sign the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

References

1986 births Living people University of Khartoum alumni Harvard Law School alumni Government ministers of Sudan People from Khartoum Sudanese expatriates in the United States Sudanese non-fiction writers Sudanese lawyers Sudanese expatriates in the United Kingdom {{Sudan-politician-stub