Algeria senate backs plan to send military forces to neighbouring Niger

The upper house of Algeria's parliament has unanimously voted in favour of sending military forces into neighbouring Niger, paving the way for a historic foreign mission.

The Council of the Nation conducted an emergency session on Sunday to consider the proposal, according to Algerian newspaper El Khabar. Under the country's constitution, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is permitted to dispatch armed units abroad only if the move receives backing from a two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers. The lower chamber, the People's National Assembly, was scheduled to convene for its own vote later the same day.

Should the deployment receive final parliamentary clearance, it would represent the Algerian armed forces' first overseas military operation since participating in the 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict. The personnel dispatched across the border are anticipated to focus primarily on protecting oil infrastructure across Niger.

The legislative push follows high-level bilateral discussions held the previous week, when Nigerien Defence Minister General Salifou Modi travelled to Algiers. During the visit, General Modi met with President Tebboune and the chief of staff of Algeria's military, General Said Chanegriha. The talks concluded with the formal signing of a defence cooperation pact, although the specific provisions of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Military ties between the two neighbouring nations have accelerated significantly in recent months, marking a turnaround following an earlier phase of strained diplomatic relations. President Tebboune recently acknowledged that Algeria had dispatched fighter aircraft to Niamey in late August to assist Nigerien authorities in putting down an alleged coup attempt.

According to statements released by the Algerian Ministry of Defence, four Sukhoi Su-30 combat jets alongside an aerial refuelling aircraft touched down at the airport in Niger's capital during that crisis. Algerian defence officials stated at the time that the aerial support was supplied in response to a formal request from the Nigerien government to counter efforts aimed at destabilising the country.

The proposed ground mission reflects an expanding security and political partnership, as both nations seek to deepen economic and strategic cooperation along their shared regional frontier.