Algeria is preparing to send troops to Niger after Niger requested assistance in fighting armed groups. This will be Algeria's first deployment of troops abroad in over 50 years.
Foreign news agencies reported on 26 Oct 2026 that Algeria is preparing to deploy troops to Niger, marking its first overseas military deployment since sending forces to Egypt during the Arab-Israeli War in 1973, more than 53 years ago.
The Algerian Senate held an extraordinary session on Sunday (25 Oct) to vote on the troop deployment, with 148 of 174 senators approving the measure. The lower house also approved it, though the timing and number of troops to be sent have not been disclosed.
This troop deployment follows a visit by Niger's defense minister to Algiers, as Niger seeks help to combat armed groups, some linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS).
Algeria has economic interests in Niger, including a planned gas pipeline project to transport natural gas from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria. The troops are expected to protect energy infrastructure in northern Niger near the Libyan border.
This move represents the first use of a 2020 law permitting Algeria to deploy troops abroad, marking a significant policy shift for Algeria, which has long adhered to a principle of not sending troops outside its borders.
"We are not sending troops to wage war in Niger, but for a mission to secure economic infrastructure," Algerian Senator Belkacem Boulkiti told reporters after the vote.
Algeria’s energy state enterprise Sonatrach has signed an agreement with Niger’s Ministry of Petroleum to explore oil in the Kafra region, where two oil fields are estimated to hold around 168 million and 100 million barrels of crude oil respectively.
Relations between Algeria and Niger have been uneasy in recent years. Algeria condemned the 2023 coup that ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum and brought military leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani to power.
Tensions escalated again in 2025 when Algeria shot down a Malian drone near the border, prompting Niger to recall its ambassador from Algiers, signaling support for Mali, a close ally under military rule.
However, relations have improved since then. General Tchiani visited Algeria in February 2026, and in late August, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune sent fighter jets to Niger to help stop a coup attempt and provided four military helicopters.
Source:bbc