Algeria Decides to Send Army Units to Niger to Protect Shared Interests

The Algerian presidency announced on Monday that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had decided to send units of the People’s National Army to Niger, with the aim of ensuring the protection of the two countries’ shared energy and economic interests.

The presidency’s statement read: “Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of the Republic, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Minister of National Defence, decided today, Monday, October 26, 2026, to send units of the People’s National Army to the Republic of Niger, in order to ensure the protection of shared Algerian-Nigerien energy and economic interests.”

The Algerian presidency confirmed that the decision was taken in accordance with the provisions of the Algerian Constitution, particularly Articles 30 and 91 (1, 2 and 7), at the request of the Nigerien authorities and following unanimous approval by the Council of the Nation and the People’s National Assembly.

This decision implements the second paragraph of Article 91 of the 2020 Constitution, which grants the President of the Republic, in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and the official responsible for national defence, the authority to send army units abroad, following approval by a two-thirds majority in each of the two chambers of Parliament.

The measure aims to secure the oil projects of the state-owned company Sonatrach within Nigerien territory, at the request of the authorities in Niamey.

The mission is limited to deploying an “army detachment” to protect Sonatrach’s oil projects, without announcing the size of the force or the date of its deployment. This is the first decision of its kind since the participation of the Algerian army in the October 1973 war.

This development comes days after Algeria and Niger signed a military cooperation protocol in the Algerian capital, during the visit of Nigerien Defence Minister Salifou Mody.

The Algerian News Agency reported that the protocol aims to strengthen coordination between the two countries, particularly in the areas of securing their shared borders, combating terrorism and exchanging military expertise.

In this context, Algeria’s Chief of Staff, General of the Army Saïd Chengriha, affirmed that “the People’s National Army is ready to examine any Nigerien proposal that could strengthen military and security cooperation, in the service of the two countries’ supreme interests and in accordance with the strong will of their leaders.”