Algeria has approved the deployment of troops to neighbouring Niger to protect energy facilities.
The decision was backed by both chambers of parliament, France24 reports.
Under a 2020 constitutional amendment, sending troops beyond Algeria’s borders requires approval by a two-thirds majority of parliament.
The vote was preceded by a visit last Wednesday to Algeria by Niger’s defence minister, Salifou Mody, during which the two sides signed a protocol on military co-operation.
This overseas deployment will be the first since Algeria sent its units to support Egypt during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
Relations between Algeria and Niger were strained for a period after Algeria shot down a drone that arrived from Mali last year. The incident triggered a diplomatic dispute: Niger, following its allies Mali and Burkina Faso (where a military junta is also in power), recalled its ambassador from Algeria.
At the start of the year, Algeria and Niamey began restoring relations, including after the suppression of an attempted coup in Niger in August.
Countries to Step Up Co-operation in Fight Against Jihadists
Niger is regularly attacked by armed groups, particularly in areas near the border with Algeria.
The neighbouring states, separated by a 960-kilometre desert border, agreed to deepen co-operation in combating jihadist violence, cross-border crime, and the illegal movement of goods and people.
Algeria and Niger are working to implement the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) project — a major initiative aimed at exporting natural gas from Nigeria to Europe via Niger.
International relations researcher Abdellah Akir said the decision marks a historic departure from Algeria’s doctrine of non-interference in military conflicts beyond the country’s borders.
Akir noted that it would also “send a clear signal to rival parties, including Morocco and the United Arab Emirates” — two countries with which Algeria no longer maintains diplomatic relations.