Both chambers of Algeria’s parliament approved President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s request on 25 October. The lower house’s evening approval completed the parliamentary votes, following the Senate’s endorsement earlier that day. The official lower-house announcement described approval by an absolute majority; it did not publish a numerical tally.
The units are to be stationed at Madama, in northern Niger near Libya, at a former French base used during Operation Barkhane, according to the parliamentary statement cited by Reuters. A Nigerien security source said no troops had yet been officially deployed. Niger’s presidential chief of staff, General Bacharou Ibro Amadou, had visited Madama and consulted commanders during a tour of the Kawar area that began on 19 October.
Energy interests drive the mission
The Senate’s communiqué described the objectives as protecting energy interests and implementing a bilateral agreement. All 148 senators participating voted in favour, including 17 voting by proxy. Neither a force size nor a mission duration was announced.
Algeria’s state energy company Sonatrach has exploration interests in Niger’s Kafra area. It is also working with Niger and Nigeria on the proposed Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, intended to establish an export route towards international markets, particularly Europe. Securing those interests gives the deployment an economic purpose alongside its military significance.
The authorization advances a rapprochement between two governments whose relations deteriorated after Niger’s 2023 coup and again when Algeria shot down a Malian drone in 2025. Niger recalled its ambassador during that dispute, aligning with Mali and Burkina Faso, its partners in the Alliance of Sahel States. President Abdourahamane Tiani’s February visit to Algiers helped rebuild relations.
Algerian military assistance already extends beyond the proposed ground deployment: four Su-30 fighter aircraft were sent to Niger on 30 August following the attempted coup in Niamey, according to ActuNiger’s account of Algerian official statements. The new authorization would add a ground presence in the north; its operational reach and rules of engagement remain unclear.