Cheikh Ag Aoussa, nom de guerre Abou Mohame,[1] was a Tuareg rebel leader and prominent drug trafficker.

[3] He returned to Mali in 1990, and fought in the Tuareg rebellion of the 1990s, fighting in Iyad Ag Ghaly's People's Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MPLA).

[3] Ag Aoussa helped Ghaly in 2003 conduct negotiations with the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat to obtain the release of Western tourists.

[5] According to a leader within the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), Ag Aoussa was drawn to Ansar Dine less out of jihadist ideology and more out of solidarity between Ifoghas Tuaregs.

[8][9] RFI recalled Aoussa as "a man known for his generosity, a fervent defender of Azawad, a notable who has always posed as a mediator between northern communities and a seasoned military leader with powerful networks" even "if some within the former rebellion point out the sometimes unspeakable nature of some of his activities and business partners.