Oct 30 (Reuters) – An Algerian army convoy has arrived in Niger in Algeria’s first foreign troop deployment since it sent forces to support Egypt during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
• Niger, like other countries in West Africa’s Sahel region, is battling insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State
• Algeria, which shares a border with Niger, has traditionally regarded stability in the Sahel-Sahara as an important regional security priority
• Energy is an important focus for Algeria in Niger, where Algerian state-run oil and gas firm Sonatrach has investments
• One major project, the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline with Niger and Nigeria, aims to deliver African gas to Europe and other international markets
• Reuters spoke to 10 people who said the first Algerian military convoy had reached Arlit, a uranium mining town in the country’s northwest
• Algeria has said the decision to deploy troops was taken to protect the country’s energy and economic interests, without disclosing the size of the force or the timetable for their arrival
• Military officers have ruled Niger, which has uranium, oil and gold resources, since the July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, which Algeria initially opposed
• The deployment is a sign that relations between Algiers and Niamey have improved since last year, when Niger recalled its ambassador from Algeria, after Mali accused Algeria of shooting down one of its drones near the border
(Writing by Ayen Deng Bior; Editing by Jessica Donati and Timothy Heritage)
