Algeria Orders Deployment of Forces in Niger to Protect Economic and Energy Interests

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Teboun has issued an order to deploy military forces in neighboring Niger to protect shared economic and energy interests between the two countries, according to an announcement by the Algerian presidency.

The decision came after both chambers of parliament approved the deployment in an emergency session held on Sunday. The presidency stressed that Nigerien authorities requested the military assistance.

This deployment represents the first Algerian military operation outside its borders since 1973, when Algeria sent troops to support Egypt during the October War. It marks a departure from a longstanding Algerian policy of refraining from military intervention beyond its borders.

Senator Belkacem Boulguith revealed to journalists following the parliamentary vote that soldiers will be tasked with protecting economic infrastructure, particularly Algerian oil facilities in Niger, emphasizing that his country "does not send its troops to fight a war in Niger." He described the mission as a response to changing security conditions in the Sahel region.

Algerian energy company Sonatrach is working with Niger on the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project, which will transport natural gas from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria and then to European markets.

The number of troops to be deployed and the timing of the operation have not yet been announced. The decision is based on a constitutional reform approved in 2020 that authorizes the president to permit external deployment with the approval of two-thirds of legislators in each parliamentary chamber.