Algerian Senate authorizes troop deployment to Niger
The vote permits the first foreign military mission since 1973 to protect energy infrastructure in northern Niger.
By Lina Lewis ·
Algeria will station troops in Niger, marking the country's first foreign military deployment since 1973. The move follows a diplomatic effort to strengthen ties between the two nations and secure key energy assets.
Algeria's upper house of parliament voted 148 to 28 on Sunday to approve the deployment. The lower house subsequently backed the measure. This decision activates a constitutional provision from 2020 that allows for overseas military operations. It represents a major shift in Algeria's long-standing policy of keeping its forces domestic.
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. Additionally, the state-owned energy company Sonatrach signed an agreement with Niger's petroleum ministry to explore for oil in the Kafra region. Reuters reported that two exploration wells in that area are estimated to contain 168 million and 100 million barrels of oil, respectively.
Niger's defence minister visited Algiers recently to seek support against armed groups. Some of these groups are linked to al-Qaeda or Islamic State. The deployment follows a period of improved relations after a diplomatic rift in 2025. In that year, Niger recalled its ambassador to Algiers in solidarity with Mali after Algeria shot down a Malian drone near the border.
Tensions had also arisen after Algeria condemned the 2023 coup that ousted Niger's elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, and brought Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani to power. Relations have since improved, with Tchiani visiting 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.
Senator Belkacem Boulghiti addressed reporters after the vote, stating that the mission is not to wage war. "We are not sending our soldiers to wage war in Niger, but for a mission to secure economic infrastructure," he said. Officials have not yet announced the specific timing for the deployment or the exact number of soldiers to be sent.
The decision resolves a logistical and security question regarding Algeria's energy investments in the region. The vote confirms the government's intent to use military force to safeguard its economic interests abroad for the first time in over five decades.
