06.11.2026 11:02
Algeria has deployed military units to its neighbor Niger, sending troops abroad for the first time in 53 years. It was announced that the shipment, carried out at the request of Niger's administration, aims to protect oil facilities and energy investments. The decision has brought back to the agenda the 4,000-kilometer natural gas pipeline planned to extend from Africa to Europe, while the energy and security competition in the region has also drawn attention.
The North African country Algeria has made a striking change in its policy of avoiding cross-border military interventions that it has followed for more than half a century. On the instructions of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, units belonging to the Algerian army were sent to the neighboring country of Niger. According to a Reuters report dated October 30, the military convoy reached Arlit, the uranium mining center in northwestern Niger. Thus, Algeria sent a ground force abroad for the first time after the military support it gave to Egypt during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.
PARLIAMENT APPROVED, TROOPS CROSSED THE BORDER
Both chambers of the Algerian Parliament approved the deployment of troops to Niger in closed sessions held on October 25. The following day, President Tebboune officially announced the decision to send troops at the request of the Nigerien authorities.
In a statement from the Algerian Presidency, it was stated that the military mission aims to protect the two countries' shared economic and energy interests. The number of troops sent and how long the mission will last were not disclosed.
Algerian officials stressed that the troops were deployed not to fight in Niger but to ensure the security of energy facilities.
AFTER THE COUP ATTEMPT, 4 FIGHTER JETS WERE SENT
Algeria's military support for Niger began in August. Algeria took action after a failed coup attempt targeting the military administration in Niger's capital, Niamey, on August 29.
In a statement on August 30, the Algerian Ministry of Defense announced that, at the request of the Nigerien authorities, four Su-30 fighter jets had been sent to Niamey on a support mission. A refueling aircraft also accompanied the fighter jets.
The latest ground force shipment showed that military cooperation between the two countries has entered a new phase.
THEY WILL PROTECT OIL FACILITIES
At the center of the military shipment are Algeria's energy investments in Niger. Algeria's state energy company Sonatrach operates in the Kafra oil field in northern Niger through its international subsidiary SIPEX.
The security threat posed by armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS operating in Niger makes protecting energy investments even more important.
Algerian officials state that the military units will focus especially on the security of oil fields and joint economic projects.
GIANT NATURAL GAS PIPELINE TO EXTEND TO EUROPE
Algeria's interests in Niger are not limited to existing oil fields. The approximately 4,000-kilometer Trans-Saharan Natural Gas Pipeline planned between Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria is cited among projects that could change Africa's energy map.
If the project is implemented, natural gas produced in Nigeria will be transported through Niger to Algeria and from there could be delivered to the European market.
However, construction of the pipeline has not yet been completed. Security problems, financing needs, and regional political developments are among the main obstacles to the project.
ENERGY COMPETITION WITH MOROCCO IS HEATING UP
In response to Algeria's Trans-Saharan project, Morocco also supports an alternative natural gas pipeline planned to start from Nigeria and run along Africa's Atlantic coast. The two projects offer different routes for delivering African gas to European and international markets.
Experts assess that Algeria's military presence in Niger may not be limited to protecting existing oil investments and is also linked to the goal of strengthening its energy and political influence in the region.
RUSSIA IS ALSO PART OF THE EQUATION IN NIGER
Niger has been governed by the military administration led by General Abdourahamane Tiani since the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023. The country's security relations with Russia have also gained importance.
Military and political competition in the region makes Algeria's new move even more noteworthy. Russia's military presence in Africa, the energy competition between Morocco and Algeria, and security problems in Niger intersect in the same geography.
However, claims that Russian troops intervened in the August coup attempt have not been independently verified.
OIL CONVOY FROM ALGERIA TO NIGER
After the military shipment, a significant amount of fuel was also sent from Algeria to Niger. According to a November 3 report by Algeria's official news agency APS, 1.65 million liters of petroleum products carried by 53 tankers reached the city of Agadez in Niger on November 1.
The shipment, carried out under military escort, aims to alleviate the fuel supply problems experienced in Niger. The development is considered one of the first concrete steps on the ground in military and energy cooperation between the two countries.