Mohamed Akotey

Mohamed Akotey is a Nigerien politician of Ifoghas Tuareg heritage and former rebel leader.

Biography Akotey was born around 1967 in the village of Tidene, just north of Agadez. He studied geography in Niamey, and later left to study archaeology at Sorbonne University.

On December 15, 1995, his uncle Mano Dayak, the head of Temoust Liberation Front, died in a plane accident during the Tuareg rebellion.

In 2008, Akotey resigned from his post to become chairman of the board of directors of Imouraren SA, which controlled the Imouraren mine. After the release of the Arlit hostages, Akotey negotiated the release of Serge Lazarevic, who was kidnapped in Mali in 2012.