$25bn: Algeria's defense spend fuels new Sahel deployment

Algeria’s parliament has authorized the deployment of troops to neighboring Niger.

The move signals a change in a military doctrine that has long prioritized sovereignty and noninterference.

The lower house, the People’s National Assembly, ratified the proposal on Sunday.

The upper house, the Council of the Nation, had voted unanimously in favor earlier that day.

Officials have not yet released details regarding the number of soldiers or the specific timeline for their arrival.

The decision follows a period of diplomatic strain and recent military activity in the region.

In August, Algeria sent four Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 jets, a transport aircraft, and a refueling plane to Niamey.

Algerian authorities described this air support as a response to an attempt to destabilize Niger’s military-led government.

Relations between Algiers and Niamey had improved in early 2026.

Niger’s President Abdourahamane Tchiani visited Algeria in February.

Months later, Niger’s defense minister Salifou Mody traveled to Algiers to discuss security cooperation.

This diplomatic progress followed a crisis in April when the Algerian army shot down a Malian drone, causing the three Sahel nations to recall their ambassadors from Algiers had also strained ties earlier over the 2023 coup in Niger. The deployment is primarily intended to safeguard oil installations owned by Sonatrach, Algeria’s state energy company. The Associated Press reported that Senator Belkacem Boulghiti stated the troops would protect Algeria’s economic and strategic interests. Boulghiti told reporters after the vote that the mission is to secure economic infrastructure rather than wage war. He described the move as an adaptation of doctrine to new challenges in the Sahel region. The Sahel has seen six military coups since 2012, with three in Mali, two in Burkina Faso, and one in Niger. Western military forces have largely withdrawn from the area. France left Niger in December 2023, and the United States removed about 1,000 soldiers from Niger in 2024. Russia has increased its presence, with personnel arriving in Niamey in April 2024. Algeria, which spent more than $25 billion on its armed forces in 2025, is now asserting a direct military presence in a neighboring state. Article 91 of the Algerian constitution allows the president to authorize such deployments with the support of two-thirds of each parliamentary chamber.