Alghabass is the youngest son of prominent Ifoghas Tuareg Amenokal Intalla Ag Attaher, and has two older brothers; Mohamed and Attayoub.

[4] When the rebellion began, he joined the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) but quickly switched to Ansar Dine.

[5][7] In January 2013, just days before the French intervention of Operation Serval, Alghabass left Ansar Dine and founded the Islamic Movement of Azawad (MIA), of which he was the Secretary-general.

][11][12] On December 16, 2016, and in July 2022, Alghabass succeeded Bilal Ag Acherif as president of the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA).

[15] Under Alghabass' command, the CMA's groups merged into one entity, left the Algiers Accords, and launched an operation to combat the Islamic State – Sahil Province (ISGS) in northern Mali.