Algeria Sends Troops to Niger to Guard Energy Assets

Algerian soldiers are preparing to deploy to Niger to secure energy infrastructure, ending a 53-year pause in foreign military operations. The troops will operate in the northern regions near the Libyan border, where armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have increased activity. This mission represents a direct shift in policy for a nation that has historically avoided sending forces abroad.

Algeria's upper house of parliament voted 148 to 26 in favor of the deployment during an emergency session on Sunday. The lower house subsequently backed the measure. Although the specific timeline and total troop count remain undisclosed, the move activates a 2020 constitutional provision that previously allowed for overseas military engagements but was never used.

Sen. Belkacem Boulghiti told reporters that the objective is defensive. "We are not sending our soldiers to wage war in Niger, but for a mission to secure economic infrastructure," he said. The protection focuses on assets critical to Algiers' energy strategy, including a planned pipeline that would transport gas from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria.

The deployment follows a period of renewed cooperation between the two neighbors. Relations had deteriorated in 2025 after Algeria shot down a Malian drone near its border. Niger, a close ally of Mali, recalled its ambassador to Algiers in protest. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune helped repair ties by sending fighter jets to help suppress a coup attempt in late August and donating four military helicopters.

Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, who seized power in a 2023 coup, visited Algeria in February 2026. His presence in Algiers preceded the vote, as the government sought formal support for its security operations. The economic stakes have risen alongside the diplomatic thaw. Sonatrach, Algeria's state-owned energy company, signed an agreement with Niger's petroleum ministry to explore oil in the Kafra region.

According to Reuters, two exploration wells in that area are estimated to hold 168 million and 100 million barrels of oil. The presence of Algerian forces aims to secure these assets against the backdrop of continued instability in the Sahel region.

The decision marks the first time since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war that Algeria has committed troops to a foreign theater. The last such deployment involved forces sent to Egypt. This current mission is framed by officials as a safeguard for national economic interests rather than a combat operation.