Algeria allocates $25bn defense budget as troops deploy to Niger

Algeria has approved a military deployment to neighboring Niger, marking a departure from its long-standing policy of nonintervention.

The People’s National Assembly ratified the proposal on Sunday. The Council of the Nation had unanimously approved the move earlier in the day. Officials have not disclosed the number of troops or the specific timeline for arrival.

The decision follows a period of diplomatic friction and recent cooperation. In April, the Algerian army shot down a Malian drone, prompting Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to recall their ambassadors. Relations improved in February when Niger’s President Abdourahamane Tchiani visited Algiers. Later, Niger’s defence minister Salifou Mody traveled to Algiers to discuss security cooperation.

The deployment aims to protect oil installations owned by Sonatrach, Algeria’s state-owned energy company. The Associated Press reported that the troops are intended to safeguard Algeria’s economic and strategic interests. Senator Belkacem Boulghiti told reporters 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.

This shift coincides with a major realignment of security partnerships in the region. France withdrew approximately 1,500 troops from Niger in December 2023 following the July 2023 coup. The United States pulled roughly 1,000 soldiers from Niger in 2024, ending a cooperation agreement that included a drone base near Agadez. Russia has expanded its presence, sending approximately 100 military personnel associated with the Africa Corps to Niamey in April 2024.

Algeria’s military capacity supports this expansion. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported that the country spent more than $25 billion on its armed forces in 2025. This spending makes Algeria the largest military spender in Africa. The 2020 constitutional revision formalized the conditions for overseas deployments, requiring approval from at least two-thirds of each parliamentary chamber.

The deployment also reflects Algeria’s strategic interest in the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline. This project would transport Nigerian gas to Europe by traversing Niger and Algeria. By establishing a direct military presence, Algiers seeks to secure its southern border and protect its energy investments in a region where instability has fueled six military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger since 2012.