Algerian MPs vote to send troops to Niger to guard oil

Algeria's People's National Assembly voted on Sunday to authorize the deployment of ground forces to Niger. This marks a departure from the country's historical stance of avoiding foreign military engagements. The Council of the Nation, the upper house, had already approved the proposal unanimously earlier that day.

Officials have not specified the number of soldiers or the timeline for their arrival. According to The Associated Press, the mission aims to protect Algeria's economic interests, specifically oil facilities in Niger operated by the state-owned company Sonatrach. Senator Belkacem Boulghiti told reporters that the goal is to secure economic infrastructure rather than wage war.

Boulghiti described the move as an adaptation of doctrine to changing conditions. "We are not sending our soldiers to wage war in Niger, but for a mission to secure economic infrastructure," he said. "It is an adaptation of our doctrine to evolving circumstances."

The vote follows a preliminary military step taken in August, when Algeria dispatched four Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 jets, a transport plane, and an aerial refuelling aircraft to Niamey. Authorities at the time characterized that airlift as a response to attempts to destabilize Niger's military-led government.

Diplomatic ties between the two nations have improved since the 2023 coup in Niger, which Algeria had initially condemned. Relations strained further in April when the Algerian army shot down a Malian drone, leading Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to recall their ambassadors. President Abdourahamane Tchiani visited Algiers in February, and his defence minister, Salifou Mody, later held security talks there.

The decision aligns with Article 91 of the 2020 constitutional revision, which requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority for foreign deployments. The measure follows a period of intense military spending. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reports that Algeria spent over $25 billion on its armed forces in 2025, securing its position as Africa's largest military spender.

Instability in the Sahel region poses direct risks to Algiers, which borders Mali, Niger, and Libya. The region has seen six military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger since 2012. Foreign military presence has shifted, with France withdrawing troops from Niger in December 2023 and the United States pulling out about 1,000 soldiers in 2024.