Algerian Troops: First Foreign Deployment Since 1973
Senators approved the mission to secure energy infrastructure in northern Niger, marking a shift in decades-long military policy.
By Pavel Bell ·
Algeria will send troops to Niger.
The move represents the country's first overseas military deployment since 1973, when forces were sent to Egypt during the Arab-Israeli war. The decision follows a visit to Algiers by Niger's defence minister, who sought assistance against armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The primary objective is to protect energy facilities in northern Niger, located near the Libyan border. Algeria has substantial economic interests in the region, including a planned gas pipeline that would transport Nigerian gas through Niger to Algeria. The state-owned energy company Sonatrach also signed an agreement with Niger's petroleum ministry to explore for oil in the Kafra region. Reuters reported that two exploration wells are estimated to contain 168 million and 100 million barrels of oil, respectively.
Algeria's upper house of parliament held an emergency session on Sunday to vote on the proposed deployment. According to the AFP news agency, 148 of the 174 senators voted in favour. The lower house of parliament subsequently backed the measure. The action invokes a 2020 constitutional provision that allows for overseas military deployments, signaling a departure from Algeria's long-standing policy against sending forces abroad.
Senator Belkacem Boulghiti addressed reporters after the vote, stating, "We are not sending our soldiers to wage war in Niger, but for a mission to secure economic infrastructure." However, officials have not yet announced the specific timing or the number of soldiers to be deployed.
The deployment comes as the two neighbours rebuild ties following a diplomatic rift in 2025. Tensions rose after Algeria shot down a Malian drone near its border. Niger recalled its ambassador to Algiers in solidarity with Mali, a close ally also under military rule. Relations have since improved. President Abdourahamane Tchiani visited Algeria in February 2026. In late August, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune sent fighter jets to Niger to help suppress a coup attempt and donated four military helicopters.
Algeria had condemned the 2023 coup that ousted Niger's elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, and brought Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani to power.
Source: BBC News
