Algeria's parliament approves sending troops to Niger

As of 5:10 p.m. ET, Oct. 25, 2026

Both chambers of Algeria's parliament on Sunday approved President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's request to send units of the National People's Army to neighboring Niger, in what Reuters said would be Algeria's first foreign troop deployment since it sent forces to support Egypt in the 1973 war.

Lawmakers backed the deployment of army units to Madama in northern Niger, near the Libyan border, at the site of a former French base used during Operation Barkhane, Reuters reported, citing a parliamentary statement. No troops have been officially deployed yet, according to a Niger security source quoted by Reuters.

The chambers met in closed sessions to consider Tebboune's notification under Article 91(2) of the constitution, which requires approval by two-thirds of each chamber's members to send troops abroad. The upper house, the Council of the Nation, approved it 148-0 among members voting, according to a statement reported by Algerie Eco. Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf presented the request on Tebboune's behalf. The lower house, the People's National Assembly, also approved it, according to the same report.

Lawmakers cited "the protection of energy interests" and a bilateral agreement between the two countries, according to Algerie Eco. A senator told AFP the units would protect energy facilities in Niger, BBC Arabic reported. Algeria's state energy company Sonatrach works in Niger, and Niger's defense minister visited Algiers on Oct. 20 for talks on security cooperation, Reuters reported.

What is not known

It is not yet known how many troops Algeria will send, when they will deploy or what their exact mission will be.