Algerian army to deploy in Niger
Niger's parliament approved the deployment of Algerian soldiers on August 30, 2026, following a request from General Abdourahmane Tiani.
Algeria plans to deploy soldiers from its national army into Niger. Both houses of the Algerian Parliament approved this deployment in late October, following a request from General Abdourahmane Tiani.
The deployment is intended to protect the strategic Trans-Saharan gas pipeline project. Algerian Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine was seen greeting Algerian soldiers at Niamey airport on August 30, 2026.
This move, which breaks with Algeria's previous doctrine of non-interference, aims to increase Algeria's influence in the Sahel region and is influenced by economic and geopolitical rivalries with Morocco.
Why it mattersAlgerian soldiers will be deployed in Niger to protect a strategic gas pipeline project, a move driven by geopolitical rivalries.