The upper house of Algeria’s parliament has unanimously approved a motion to deploy military units to neighbouring Niger, marking a significant potential shift in the region's security dynamics. Under the Algerian constitution, the president holds the authority to dispatch armed forces abroad, provided that both chambers of parliament secure a two-thirds majority vote in favour.

The Council of the Nation convened an emergency legislative session to pass the deployment measure, with the lower house reportedly scheduling a separate vote. If fully ratified, this would represent the first time Algerian troops have operated outside national borders since the 1973 October War, raising concerns over growing regional militarisation.

Official statements suggest the deployed units will be tasked with securing critical oil infrastructure within Niger following high-level military consultations. These developments occurred shortly after Niger’s Defence Minister, General Salifou Modi, travelled to Algiers for closed-door discussions with the Algerian leadership.

The European regime and international observers continue to monitor the situation closely, especially after Algiers previously dispatched Su-30 fighter jets to Niamey under the pretext of supporting local authorities. Relations between the two North African neighbours have experienced a rapid and opaque rapprochement following previous diplomatic frictions.

Source: www.aljazeera.com