NIGER · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —The country Niger is a landlocked Sahel country ruled by General Abdourahamane Tiani since a 2023 coup, and Algeria, its northern neighbour, supplies gas to Europe.
- —What happened On Sunday 25 October 2026, both chambers of Algeria’s parliament approved President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s request to send army units to Niger.
- —The vote The Council of the Nation, the upper house, voted unanimously, and the National People’s Assembly, the lower house, approved by absolute majority.
- —The base French-language media name Madama, a former French outpost in northern Niger, as the likely site, but the Algerian communiqués do not name it.
- —The legal basis Tebboune’s notification, dated 22 October, rests on Article 91 of the Algerian constitution, which lets the president send army units abroad with parliament’s approval.
- —Still open Algeria has not published the number of troops, the start date or the exact mission, and Niger’s government has not commented publicly.
Algeria’s parliament approved troops for Niger on Sunday 25 October 2026, and French-language media say they will use a former French base. Algeria’s state news agency APS reported that the upper house voted unanimously and the lower house by absolute majority.
For US readers, the vote puts a new foreign army into the Sahel, the belt south of the Sahara, after French and US forces left. French-language media, citing Jeune Afrique, say the units will take over the base at Madama.
What Parliament Voted on 25 October
The Council of the Nation, chaired by Azouz Nasri, held a closed session on Sunday to approve the president’s notification on troops for Niger. APS reported that the vote was unanimous.
The National People’s Assembly, chaired by Khalida Boufedeche, then approved the same notification by absolute majority, according to a communiqué from the chamber. Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf presented the government’s briefing on behalf of the president, the Algerian news site TSA reported.
Where Madama Comes In
The Algerian communiqués speak only of units sent to the Republic of Niger and never name a site for the troops for Niger. The base at Madama appears in French-language reports, which cite Jeune Afrique and Niger security sources.
Le JDD, a French weekly, wrote that Niger asked Algiers for forces that will occupy Madama, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Libya. La Nouvelle Tribune, a news site based in Benin, said a Niger security source linked the plan to the old French base.
A Base Left Empty by France
France announced on 23 October 2014 that it would station 50 soldiers and helicopters at Madama for its Barkhane anti-jihadist campaign, La Nouvelle Tribune recalled. The force grew to 200 to 250 troops in early 2015, and the site has an airfield.
After the July 2023 coup, Niger’s military rulers cancelled defence deals with Paris and demanded the French troops leave. The last French soldier left Niamey, the capital, on 22 December 2023.
How Algiers and Niamey Moved Closer
Relations were cold in 2025, when Niamey recalled its ambassador over a Malian drone that Algeria said it had shot down near the border. They improved after General Tiani visited Algiers in February 2026.
Niger’s defence minister, General Salifou Mody, was in Algiers on Tuesday 20 October for talks on security cooperation, La Nouvelle Tribune said. TSA reported that his second visit in a few days produced a memorandum on military and security cooperation.
Why Energy Is Part of the Story
Algerian parliamentary leaders said the deployment protects the country’s energy interests and applies the bilateral agreement with Niger, TSA reported. Algeria’s state company Sonatrach holds the Kafra oil block in northern Niger, which covers 23,737 square kilometres (about 9,165 square miles).
A former Algerian ambassador wrote in TSA on 24 October that instability in Niamey would threaten the planned gas pipeline linking Nigeria, Niger and Algeria. Algeria had already backed Niamey on 30 August with four Su-30 fighters, after a mutiny and coup attempt in Niamey.
What It Means for US Readers
Washington has few troops left in the Sahel, and troops for Niger from Algeria add another outside military partner beside Russia’s Africa Corps. A Rio Times analysis of the Niger mutiny showed how Russia gained ground after the August attack.
Energy buyers in the United States and Europe will watch because Algeria supplies gas to Europe and Niger lies on the proposed pipeline route. A base near the Libyan border also bears on the fight against jihadist groups that cross the Sahara.
What Is Not Known
Neither the Algerian presidency nor the defence ministry has said how many troops for Niger will go, when or on what orders. It is also open whether Madama will be shared with Niger’s own army or run by Algeria alone.
Niger’s government had not made a public statement on the deployment in the sources available on Monday morning. The Madama site rests on reports citing French and Niger security sources, not on an Algerian or Nigerien official text.
More: Niger news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who approved the troops for Niger?
Both chambers of Algeria’s parliament approved President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s notification on Sunday 25 October 2026. The upper house voted unanimously and the lower house by absolute majority, according to APS.
Is the Madama base confirmed as the site?
The Algerian communiqués do not name a site for the troops for Niger. French-language media, citing Jeune Afrique and Niger security sources, say the units will use the former French base at Madama.
What is Madama?
Madama is a desert outpost in northern Niger, close to the Libyan border, that France used from 2014 until its troops left in December 2023. It has an airfield and was part of the French Barkhane campaign against jihadists.
Why does Algeria want to send troops for Niger?
Algerian parliamentary leaders cited the protection of energy interests and the bilateral agreement with Niger, TSA reported. Sonatrach, Algeria’s state energy company, holds an oil block in northern Niger.
Has Niger reacted to the vote?
Niger’s government had not made a public statement on the troops for Niger in the sources available on Monday 26 October. Niger’s defence minister did visit Algiers on 20 October for talks on security cooperation.
Is this Algeria’s first deployment abroad?
La Nouvelle Tribune described it as the first deployment of the Algerian army abroad since 1973, citing the parliamentary communiqué. Algeria has sent fighter jets to Niamey before, on 30 August 2026.
Sources: APS, Conseil de la nation, approbation à l’unanimité, 25 October 2026; APS, l’APN approuve à la majorité absolue, 25 October 2026; TSA, le Parlement dévoile les raisons, 25 October 2026; TSA, vers un engagement militaire élargi au Niger, 24 October 2026; La Nouvelle Tribune, base de Madama, 25 October 2026; Le JDD, le Parlement autorise l’envoi de troupes, 25 October 2026; Yabiladi, l’Algérie envoie son armée au Niger, 25 October 2026; APS, patrouilles d’avions de chasse vers le Niger, 30 August 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief