Algeria sends ground troops to Niger to guard oil facilities

Algerian ground forces are preparing to deploy to neighboring Niger to secure energy infrastructure. The People's National Assembly ratified the deployment on Sunday, following unanimous approval from the Council of the Nation earlier that day. This move marks a clear departure from the country’s long-standing doctrine of avoiding foreign military entanglements.

Officials have not yet released the total number of soldiers or a specific launch date. The Associated Press reported that the troops are intended to protect the economic and strategic interests of the state-owned energy company Sonatrach. These interests include oil facilities located in Niger. Senator Belkacem Boulghiti addressed reporters after the vote, stating, "We are not sending our soldiers to wage war in Niger, but for a mission to secure economic infrastructure."

The parliamentary vote follows earlier military activity in the region. Nearly two months ago, Algeria sent four Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 jets, a transport aircraft, and an aerial refueling aircraft to Niamey. Authorities described that initial air support as a response to an attempt to destabilize Niger's military-led government.

Diplomatic relations between Algiers and Niamey have improved since February, when President Abdourahamane Tchiani visited Algeria. His defense minister, Salifou Mody, also traveled to Algiers for talks on security cooperation. Tensions had previously risen after the 2023 coup in Niger and an incident last April where an Algerian jet shot down a Malian drone. That event led Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to recall their ambassadors from Algiers.

The deployment is grounded in constitutional procedure. Article 91 of the 2020 constitutional revision allows the president to authorize foreign deployments with the backing of at least two-thirds of members in each parliamentary chamber. The constitution also permits participation in peacekeeping missions run by the United Nations, the African Union, or the Arab League.

Algeria maintains the largest military budget in Africa, with spending exceeding $25 billion in 2025 according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The country shares long borders with Mali, Niger, and Libya, regions affected by instability since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s government. Since 2012, six military coups have occurred in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger combined.

International military presence in the Sahel has shifted in recent years. France withdrew troops from Mali in August 2022, Burkina Faso in February 2023, and Niger in December 2023. The United States pulled approximately 1,000 soldiers out of Niger in 2024 after the military government ended its security agreement. Roughly 100 Russian personnel linked to Africa Corps arrived in Niamey in April 2024 to provide equipment and training.