Algeria: Parliament approves Tebboune’s decision to deploy troops in Niger

Algeria’s two houses of Parliament gave their approval on Sunday, October 25, to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s decision to send troops into Niger, opening the way for an Algerian military presence in the Sahel country.

The Algerian army is set to be stationed at Madama, a former French military post in the Nigerien desert in the country’s north, near the border with Libya.

French forces had built the site under Operation Barkhane, launched on August 1, 2014 to fight jihadist groups and reinforce security across the Sahel. That operation came to an official end on November 9, 2022.

Algerian authorities have framed the deployment as necessary to protect the investments of Sonatrach International in Niger.

This vote caps a series of steps in military cooperation between the two neighbours. In August, Algeria handed over four military helicopters to the Nigerien army — two Mi-24V/Super Hind Mk-III attack helicopters and two Mi-171 transport helicopters — along with ammunition and maintenance equipment meant to strengthen Niger’s forces against armed groups. The two countries also signed a military cooperation agreement in Algiers last week.

Niger’s security situation remains fragile three years after the July 2023 coup that removed Mohamed Bazoum, the democratically elected civilian president who had close ties to Algiers.

Under Article 91 of Algeria’s constitution, adopted in December 2020, the president can send troops abroad once both chambers of Parliament give their approval.