Algeria Orders Troops Into Niger to Guard Energy and Economic Interests

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered troops to be sent to neighbouring Niger, with the stated aim of protecting energy and economic interests that the two countries share. The presidency announced the decision on Monday, October 26.

The order followed an emergency session on Sunday in which both chambers of Algeria's parliament approved the deployment. According to the presidency, authorities in Niger had asked for military assistance.

If it goes ahead, this would be Algeria's first military deployment abroad since 1973, when the country sent soldiers to support Egypt during the Arab-Israeli war. The step marks a break from Algeria's long-standing reluctance to intervene militarily beyond its borders.

A constitutional reform passed in 2020 allows the president to authorise overseas deployments, provided at least two-thirds of the legislators in each parliamentary chamber approve. The presidency said the decision was taken under those provisions.

Officials have not said how many soldiers will be sent or when they will go. Algerian Senator Belkacem Boulghiti told reporters after Sunday's vote that the troops would protect economic infrastructure, in particular Algerian oil facilities in Niger. He said Algeria was "not sending our soldiers to wage war in Niger" and described the mission as a response to changing security conditions in the Sahel region.

Algeria had already sent fighter jets and support aircraft to Niger in August, after what Algerian officials described as an attempt to destabilise its military government.

Energy ties between the two countries are also significant. Algeria's state-owned energy company, Sonatrach, has been working with Niger on the proposed Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which would carry natural gas from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria for export to European markets.

The security backdrop in the region is difficult. Niger, along with neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, has faced years of attacks by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). All three countries are run by military leaders who took power in coups and later formed the Alliance of Sahel States, a regional political and security bloc.

The deployment comes after an improvement in relations between Algiers and Niamey. Niger has been led by General Abdourahamane Tiani since a 2023 military coup, which Algeria initially condemned. Tensions rose further in April last year, when Algerian forces shot down a Malian drone near the border, leading the three alliance members to recall their ambassadors from Algiers.