Algeria to Send Soldiers to Niger to Protect Oil Interests, Ending 53-Year Hiatus

Algeria’s parliament has approved the deployment of troops to neighbouring Niger to protect its economic and strategic interests, marking the country’s first overseas military deployment since 1973, when Algerian soldiers were sent to support Egypt during the Arab-Israeli war.

The resolution was approved on Sunday, October 25, but authorities have not disclosed the number of soldiers involved or when and where they will be deployed.

Algerian Senator Belkacem Boulghiti said the mission would focus on safeguarding the country’s economic infrastructure, particularly its oil facilities in Niger, rather than engaging in combat.

“We are not sending our soldiers to wage war in Niger, but for a mission to secure economic infrastructure,” Boulghiti told reporters after the parliamentary vote.

He described the deployment as an adjustment to Algeria’s military doctrine in response to changing security conditions and emerging challenges across the Sahel region.

Energy interests are central to the decision, with Algeria’s state-owned energy company, Sonatrach, collaborating with Niger on the proposed Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline. The project is designed to transport natural gas from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria for export to European markets.

The wider Sahel region, comprising Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, has faced persistent insecurity because of attacks by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Military governments in all three countries have also struggled with overstretched security forces following coups in recent years.

The deployment highlights improving relations between Algeria and Niger after a period of serious diplomatic tensions. In August, Algeria expressed support for Niger after soldiers opposed to the military junta led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani staged a mutiny that was repelled by loyalist forces aided by Russian troops.

Algeria subsequently sent a delegation to Niger’s capital, Niamey, accompanied by four combat fighter jets and a military transport aircraft. Niger’s ruling council described the move as a demonstration of Algeria’s strategic support.

Relations between the neighbours had deteriorated sharply last year. In April, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which form the Alliance of Sahel States, recalled their ambassadors from Algeria after the Algerian military shot down a Malian drone near the border.

Algeria had also condemned the 2023 coup that brought Tchiani to power. The latest parliamentary decision signals a shift towards closer security cooperation, while highlighting Algeria’s determination to protect its strategic assets and energy interests amid continuing instability in the Sahel.