Algeria sends troops to Niger to secure energy projects

Algeria will deploy soldiers to neighboring Niger to safeguard shared energy and economic interests, marking a shift from the country's historical policy of military non-intervention. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune issued the order on Monday, following emergency parliamentary sessions held on Sunday where both chambers voted to authorize the move.

The decision was made under a 2020 constitutional reform that permits the president to authorize overseas operations with the consent of at least two-thirds of legislators in each chamber. The Algerian presidency stated that the mission was requested by Nigerien authorities. No specific timeline or troop numbers have been announced yet.

This deployment represents the first time Algerian forces have operated outside the country since 1973, when troops were sent to support Egypt during the Arab-Israeli war. Prior to this, Algeria had maintained a long-standing reluctance to engage in military actions beyond its borders, although it did dispatch fighter jets and support aircraft to Niger in August to counter a perceived attempt to destabilize the local military government.

Senator Belkacem Boulghiti addressed reporters after the Sunday vote, explaining that the soldiers are intended to protect economic infrastructure, specifically Algerian oil facilities within Niger. He clarified that the mission is a response to shifting security conditions in the Sahel region rather than an offensive war effort. Boulghiti stated that Algeria was "not sending our soldiers to wage war in Niger."

The military move occurs against the backdrop of a proposed Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, a joint project between Sonatrach, Algeria's state energy company, and Niger. The pipeline is designed to transport natural gas from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria for export to Europe. The region has faced sustained attacks from armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL, with Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso all governed by military leaders who formed the Alliance of Sahel States.

Relations between Algiers and Niamey have improved in recent months. General Abdourahamane Tiani has led Niger since a 2023 coup that Algeria initially criticized. Tensions had previously escalated in April 2025 after Algerian forces shot down a Malian drone near the border, an incident that led the three alliance members to recall their ambassadors from Algiers.

The deployment remains subject to logistical planning, with the presidency confirming the action was taken within existing constitutional frameworks. The mission focuses on stabilizing the security environment surrounding key energy assets in the Sahel.