Why Algeria Is Sending Troops to Niger, Its First Foreign Deployment in Decades

Algeria's parliament approved sending troops to neighboring Niger on Sunday, a rare step for a country that has long avoided deploying its military abroad. Euronews reported that it would be Algeria's first foreign deployment since the 1970s.

The troops are meant to protect Algerian interests, mainly oil facilities run by the state energy company Sonatrach, according to both Al Jazeera and Euronews. Neither the size of the force nor the start date has been announced.

What did Algeria's parliament approve?

The upper house, the Council of the Nation, approved the proposal unanimously, Al Jazeera reported. Euronews said 148 of the 174 lawmakers in the upper house were present and voted in favor, in a closed extraordinary session. The lower house, the People's National Assembly, also approved it, by what it called an absolute majority, without giving numbers.

Under Article 91 of the constitution, any deployment abroad needs the backing of two-thirds of the members of each chamber. Officials have stressed that the mission will be limited.

Why is Algeria sending troops?

Oil is a central reason. Euronews reported that Sonatrach, through its subsidiary SIPEX, manages projects in the Kafra oil field in northern Niger, about 85 kilometers from the Algerian border. Drilling began on one well there on Aug. 13, and the field's resources are estimated at more than 2.5 billion barrels, according to figures Anadolu Agency reported.

Algerian Senator Belkacem Boulghiti told The Associated Press the troops would protect the country's economic and strategic interests, particularly its oil facilities in Niger. Niger is also a corridor for the planned Trans-Saharan gas pipeline of more than 4,000 kilometers, and Algeria began work in June on the section on its territory, Euronews said.

What led up to this?

Al Jazeera reported that nearly two months ago Algeria sent four Russian-made Su-30 fighter jets, a transport aircraft and a refueling aircraft to Niamey after what Algerian authorities described as an attempt to destabilize Niger's military-led government. Euronews also said Algeria gave Niger four military helicopters.

On Oct. 3, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said in a televised address that Algeria was ready to defend Niger, saying we will protect Niger whatever it takes and accusing unnamed states of plotting against it. Last week, Niger's defense minister visited Algiers and met Tebboune and army chief Saïd Chengriha, and Algerian reports said the two sides signed a military cooperation protocol.

Why is the move seen as a shift?

Al Jazeera noted that Algeria's foreign policy has long been built on sovereignty, noninterference and opposition to foreign military intervention. Its forces took part in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, but deployments abroad have been exceptionally rare since. A 2020 constitutional revision set the conditions under which troops can be sent abroad.

Algeria is also Africa's largest military spender, with more than $25 billion on its armed forces in 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Observers cited by Euronews say the move reflects a broader change after decades of reliance on diplomacy.

How were relations with Niger before?

Ties were strained for months after Algeria shot down a Malian drone last April, which led Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to recall their ambassadors from Algiers. Algeria's condemnation of the 2023 coup in Niger had also hurt relations. Niger has been ruled since July 2023 by a military government led by Abdourahamane Tchiani, who deposed elected president Mohamed Bazoum. Both outlets say relations have since warmed, with Tchiani visiting Algeria in February.

What does this mean for the region?

Algeria shares thousands of kilometers of borders with Mali, Niger and Libya, so Sahel instability directly affects it, Al Jazeera said. Algeria is seeking to deepen security cooperation in the Sahel. The outlet also noted Algeria's break with the United Arab Emirates in September, when it accused Abu Dhabi of hostile actions without giving details, and said the developments suggest Algeria is more willing to assert its security interests beyond its borders.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Al Jazeera, Euronews, BBC News