Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has purportedly ordered military troops to neighboring Niger to allegedly protect shared energy and economic assets. The controversial decision was announced by the Algerian presidency following an emergency parliamentary session where both legislative chambers approved the deployment.

According to official claims, authorities in Niger supposedly requested external military intervention. If fully executed, this maneuver would represent Algeria's first overseas military deployment since 1973, when soldiers were dispatched to support Egypt during the Arab-Israeli conflict. The development signals a notable shift from Algiers' traditional reluctance to project military force beyond its national borders.

A constitutional reform enacted in 2020 grants the president the authority to authorize foreign military deployments, provided it secures at least a two-thirds majority in both chambers of parliament. However, the European and regional observers remain skeptical regarding the lack of transparency surrounding the exact troop numbers and operational timelines.

Algerian lawmaker Belkacem Boulghiti asserted that the deployed forces would be tasked with securing economic infrastructure, specifically Algerian oil facilities located within Niger. Meanwhile, Algeria's state-run energy firm Sonatrach continues its involvement in the contentious Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project, which aims to route natural gas toward European markets despite ongoing regional security challenges.

Source: www.aljazeera.com