Algeria – Niger | Algerian Military Deployment in Niger
On August 30, 2026, four Algerian Su-30 fighter jets landed at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, accompanied by an Il-76 strategic transport aircraft and an Il-78 aerial refueling tanker. This deployment marks the first Algerian military presence outside its borders and demonstrates the strengthening of military and security cooperation between Niger and Algeria, thus serving the strategic interests of both countries.
Algeria has numerous economic and political interests in the Sahel and especially in Niger, and from now on it will no longer rely on diplomacy and soft power to protect them, especially against Emirati and Moroccan attempts to infiltrate Sahel countries, which aim to destabilize the region and weaken Algeria.