Algeria to send troops to Niger in first foreign deployment since 1973

Algeria plans to send troops to Niger, its first overseas military deployment since sending forces to Egypt in 1973. Both chambers of Algeria’s parliament approved the mission, which is expected to protect energy infrastructure in northern Niger as Niamey seeks support against armed groups linked in part to al-Qaeda and Islamic State. The number of troops and deployment date have not been announced; Algiers says the mission is to secure economic infrastructure, including facilities connected to a planned gas pipeline and Sonatrach oil exploration. The decision follows a thaw in relations after a 2025 diplomatic rift and comes after Algeria provided military assistance to Niger in 2026.