Algeria's first troop convoy reaches Niger, escorting fuel tankers
It is Algeria's first military deployment abroad since 1973.
Agadez — The first convoy of Algerian soldiers has arrived in northern Niger, escorting tankers carrying fuel for the country.
Niger's state broadcaster RTN, quoted by Bloomberg, said 53 trucks delivered about 1.65 million litres of fuel. Africanews reports the convoy reached Agadez on Saturday; other outlets place it in Arlit, further north-west.
Why it matters
- Both chambers of Algeria's parliament approved the deployment on 25 October, and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune authorised it the next day.
- It is Algeria's first deployment of troops abroad since it sent forces to Egypt in 1973.
- The stated aims are to help Niger fight armed groups near the shared border and to protect energy links, including the planned Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline.
- The number of troops and the length of the mission have not been made public.
Relations between the two neighbours have warmed since Niger's military took power in July 2023.
Sources: Africanews, Bloomberg, November 2026.
