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
Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of the eponymous Agadez Region, the city lies in the Sahara ...
.
He studied geography in
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. As the Niamey Urban Community (, CUN), it is a Regions of Niger, first-level division of Niger, surrounded by the Tillabéri Region, in the western part of the country. Niamey lies on the Nige ...
, and later left to study archaeology at
Sorbonne University
Sorbonne University () is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to the Middle Ages in 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de Sorbon as a constituent college of the Unive ...
.
On December 15, 1995, his uncle
Mano Dayak
Mano Dayak (1949 – December 15, 1995) was a famous Tuareg people, Tuareg freedom fighter, leader, activist, scholar and negotiator. He led the Tuareg Rebellion (1990–1995), Tuareg Rebellion in Ténéré region, northern Niger during the 1990s. ...
, the head of
Temoust Liberation Front, died in a plane accident during the
Tuareg rebellion.
Akotey was urged by his family to lead the
Coordination of Armed Resistance, a coalition of anti-government Tuareg groups led by Dayak that included the TLF.
Unlike Dayak, however, Akotey joined government negotiations and made amends with
Rhissa Ag Boula, another Tuareg leader who had a rivalry with Dayak.
Akotey was appointed Nigerien
Minister of the Environment and Fight Against Desertification in 2007 by
Mamadou Tandja
Mamadou Tandja (1938 – 24 November 2020) was a Nigerien politician who was List of heads of state of Niger, President of Niger from 1999 to 2010. He was President of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD) from 1991 to 1999 ...
.
In 2008, Akotey resigned from his post to become chairman of the board of directors of
Imouraren SA, which controlled the
Imouraren mine.
In 2010,
Salou Djibo entrusted Akotey with securing the release of the
Arlit hostages kidnapped on September 16, 2010.
This role continued under the
Issoufou administration. Akotey helped release the hostages on October 27, 2013, after mediating with jihadist leader
Ibrahim Ag Inawalen.
After the release of the Arlit hostages, Akotey negotiated the release of Serge Lazarevic, who was kidnapped in Mali in 2012.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akotey, Mohamed
Living people
1967 births
Abdou Moumouni University alumni
Nigerien politicians
Tuareg rebels