Algerian Parliament Unanimously Approves Deploying Military Unit to Niger
Algeria's upper house of parliament unanimously approved sending a military unit to Niger to protect Sonatrach oil assets, pending lower house approval.
The Council of the Nation, the upper house of Algeria's parliament, unanimously approved sending a military unit to neighboring Niger to protect oil projects belonging to the state energy company Sonatrach. The decision was reached during a closed emergency session and still requires approval from the lower house, with a vote scheduled for the evening.
The initiative follows a request by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, based on Article 91 of the Algerian Constitution. This provision allows the president to deploy military units outside national borders after receiving a two-thirds majority in both chambers of parliament. The mechanism was established under a 2020 constitutional amendment.
The move comes amid deepening security ties between Algiers and Niamey. Last week, Niger's Defense Minister Salifou Modi visited Algeria, meeting with Tebboune and signing a military cooperation protocol with Chief of Staff Said Chanegriha. The agreement encompasses border security, counterterrorism coordination, and mutual assistance.
Economic interests play a central role, including cooperation in the Kafra oil field in northern Niger and the trans-Saharan gas pipeline project connecting Nigeria to Europe. President Tebboune emphasized that Algeria is committed to defending both regional partners and shared strategic interests in the Sahel.
