Algeria's upper house unanimously approves troop deployment to Niger
Algeria's upper house has unanimously approved sending troops to Niger, with the lower house still to vote — a deployment that would be Algeria's first military mission abroad since the 1973 October War.
ALGIERS — The upper house of Algeria’s parliament has unanimously approved the deployment of troops to neighbouring Niger, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.
The Council of the Nation held an emergency session on Sunday to vote on the deployment, while the lower house, the People’s National Assembly, was expected to hold a separate session later in the evening, Algeria’s El Khabar newspaper reported. Under Algeria’s constitution, the president may send military units abroad only if both chambers approve by a two-thirds majority.
If the deployment is approved, it would be the first mission outside Algeria’s borders since the 1973 war between Israel and several Arab countries, known as the October War, Al Jazeera said. The units to be deployed are expected to be tasked with securing oil facilities in Niger.
The vote came after a visit last week by Niger’s Defence Minister, General Salifou Modi, who held talks with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and army chief General Said Chanegriha. During that visit, the two sides signed a military cooperation protocol, the details of which were not made public.
Earlier this month, Tebboune confirmed that Algeria had sent fighter jets to Niger in late August to help thwart a coup attempt that shook the capital, Niamey — an episode Flip News covered on 3 October.
Sources: Al Jazeera; Dzair Tube; Flip News, 3 October.
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