Algeria to send troops to Niger in first foreign deployment since 1973

Algeria plans to send troops to neighbouring Niger. According to the BBC News description, the soldiers are expected to protect energy facilities in the north of the country, near the Libyan border. It will be the first foreign deployment of Algerian forces since 1973.

Parliament's approval

As reported by Bankier.pl, citing the AFP news agency, Algeria's parliament approved the mission on Sunday 25 October 2026. The Algerian army's previous official foreign mission came during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when Algeria supported Egypt.

The decision marks a significant shift in the country's defence doctrine, which has traditionally been based on non-intervention outside its own borders. Sending troops abroad became possible thanks to a 2020 constitutional reform. It requires the approval of two-thirds of the members of both chambers of parliament.

Background: cooperation with Niger

Algeria and Niger share a border nearly 1,000 kilometres long. The two states are stepping up military cooperation against jihadist groups, cross-border crime and smuggling. In recent months Algeria has increased its military support for Niger, handing over four military helicopters, among other things.

The countries also cooperate on energy. This includes the planned Trans-Saharan gas pipeline, which is meant to carry gas from Nigeria through Niger and Algeria to Europe. Niger, like other Sahel states, is struggling with rebels.

How an analyst sees it

Political scientist Abdellah Akir, quoted by AFP, believes the deployment is meant to safeguard Algeria's strategic interests and the future pipeline. In his view it is also a signal to regional rivals, including Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

The sources do not say how many soldiers will be sent or exactly when the mission will begin.