Algeria’s parliament approved a resolution on Sunday to deploy troops to Niger, the first foreign military deployment by Algiers in over 50 years. The upper house passed the measure unanimously, while the lower house voted by an absolute majority, though the number of troops was not disclosed.

The deployment aims to protect energy facilities, including oil installations operated by Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach, according to Senator Belkacem Boulghiti. It follows a constitutional amendment in 2020 requiring two-thirds parliamentary approval for overseas troop deployments. The move comes as Algeria and Niger deepen security cooperation, with Niger’s Defence Minister Salifou Modi visiting Algiers last Wednesday to sign a military cooperation protocol.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had signaled the possibility of military involvement earlier this month, stating in a televised address on October 3, “We will protect Niger no matter what.” He cited agreements in oil, mining, and other sectors, adding that “some are seeking to destroy all of this overnight.” Algeria had previously gifted four military helicopters to Niger and dispatched four Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 jets, a transport aircraft, and an aerial refuelling aircraft to Niamey in August after a thwarted mutiny.

Analysts described the deployment as a historic break from Algeria’s non-interventionist doctrine. Abdellah Akir, an international relations researcher, said it was driven by the need to secure the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and protect Algeria’s strategic depth in the Sahel. Geoff Porter of North Africa Risk Consulting called it a shift in Algerian policy, noting the country was moving toward “more tangible means – actual physical presence” to assert its interests.

The two countries share a 960-kilometre desert border and have agreed to deepen cooperation against jihadist violence, cross-border crime, and trafficking. The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, a project to export natural gas from Nigeria via Niger to Europe, has gained momentum after decades of delays. Algeria spent over $25 billion on its armed forces in 2025, making it Africa’s largest military spender, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.