Algeria has officially abandoned its decades-old dogma of non-intervention by authorizing the deployment of units from its National People's Army (ANP) to Niger. This decision, ratified by deputies and senators on October 25, represents a historic turning point for the North African nation, which has maintained this ideological security marker since gaining independence in 1962. The move signals Algeria's ambition to reconquer its influence in the Sahel, a region it considers its "backyard," after being effectively sidelined from the arena at the beginning of the 2020s.
Algeria's previous withdrawal from its southern borders was accelerated by a wave of sovereignist coups in Mali in 2020, Burkina Faso in 2022, and Niger in 2023. These juntas initially expelled French and broader Western forces before turning their opposition toward Algeria. In response to this diplomatic offense, Algiers extended an olive branch, which the junta in Niamey accepted as a lifeline amidst ongoing security perils. While this return to Niger precedes a potential normalization similar to the more violent rift experienced with Mali, current indications suggest the process will take on a more diplomatic dimension than a military one.
The parliamentary ratification was made possible by the 2020 constitutional revision, which legally permitted the first-ever deployment of troops outside national borders. This development ushers Algeria into a new era characterized by uncertainty, transforming the country from a mediator of conflicts into a classical power adopting assertive postures on external stages. However, this strategic shift carries the risk of exposing Algiers to accusations of neo-imperialism as it seeks to counter the influence of the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Marshal Haftar's Libya in the region.
Sources: Le Monde International.