Algerian Parliament approves sending forces to Niger, first deployment abroad since 1973
Both chambers of Algeria's Parliament approved on Sunday 25 October 2026 the sending of troops to Niger, with the lower house voting unanimously for the deployment of Army units. According to Algerian media sources, the units could be tasked with securing oil installations and investments by the state hydrocarbons company Sonatrach in northern Niger. Algeria has in recent months supplied four military helicopters and deployed combat aircraft after an attempted military mutiny in August.
Why it matters: The approval makes energy security a stated rationale for Algeria's first military deployment abroad since 1973, a shift from its non-intervention doctrine.