A first military convoy has reached Arlit to protect Algerian energy projects, following a parliamentary vote and a new defence protocol with Niamey

The first Algerian military convoy has arrived in Arlit, in north-western Niger. Algiers says the deployment is meant to secure its economic interests and vital energy projects in the Sahel.

It is the first time Algerian forces have been deployed abroad since the country sent troops to support Egypt during the 1973 war with Israel, in which several Arab states took part. Algeria said the decision was taken to protect its economic and energy interests, but has not disclosed the size of the force or the timetable for its arrival.

Sonatrach at the centre

Energy lies at the heart of Algeria’s interests in Niger, where the state-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach has investments.

Parliament’s green light

The deployment was preceded by a vote in both chambers of Algeria’s parliament on 25 October 2026 approving President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s request to send a detachment of the Algerian army to Niger. The request, made at the invitation of the Nigerien authorities, is intended to secure Algerian investment projects, particularly those of the Sonatrach group, and falls under Article 91 of the constitution, which governs the dispatch of national army units abroad.

The Council of the Nation, the upper house, voted first, unanimously, with 148 votes. The People’s National Assembly, the lower house, then approved the measure by an absolute majority of members present. Article 91 requires the approval of two-thirds of the members of each chamber for troops to be sent abroad.

A fast-moving rapprochement

The vote followed a visit to Algiers by Niger’s defence minister, Salifou Mody, and the signing of a military cooperation protocol between the two countries on 21 October. In August, Algeria had already sent four Sukhoi-30 fighter jets and a refuelling aircraft to Niamey after an attempted “military mutiny” in the Nigerien capital.

The move reflects growing security and political ties between the two neighbours after tensions that followed the 2023 coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum, which Algeria initially opposed. It also signals improved relations since last year, when Niger recalled its ambassador to Algeria after Mali accused Algeria of shooting down one of its drones near the border.

Niger is fighting armed groups, while Algeria, which shares a border with it, regards stability in the Sahel and Sahara as a key regional security priority.

Background: a European mission cut short

Months before the coup, on 20 February 2023, the European Union launched its Military Partnership Mission in Niger (EUMPM Niger) for a three-year period, with common costs of €27.3 million and headquarters in Niamey, in response to a request from the Nigerien authorities of the time. Its aim was to strengthen the Nigerien army against terrorist armed groups by setting up an armed forces technicians’ training centre, training armed forces and gendarmerie specialists, and supporting the creation of a new communication and command support battalion.

The mission never ran its full course. On 4 December 2023, Niger’s military authorities withdrew their consent for its deployment, and its personnel were redeployed to Europe that same month. On 27 May 2024, the Council of the EU decided not to extend its mandate beyond 30 June 2024, citing the “grave political situation” in the country, and the mission officially ended on that date.

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