First convoy of Algerian troops and fuel tankers reaches northern Niger
The deployment, approved by Algeria's parliament on 25 October, is the country's first military operation abroad since 1973.
A first convoy of Algerian soldiers escorting some sixty fuel tankers has crossed into northern Niger, where it was received by members of the Nigerien Armed Forces, according to Radio France Internationale. The convoy reportedly reached Agadez on Saturday, and an Algerian military unit may also be deployed to Niamey.
Algeria's parliament approved the deployment on 25 October. It is the country's first military deployment abroad since the Arab-Israeli war of 1973.
The soldiers are expected to support Niger in its fight against armed groups, particularly along the two countries' shared border. The fuel deliveries come as Niger contends with a nationwide shortage.
The move is widely seen as a response to the growing influence of the United Arab Emirates and of eastern Libya in the Sahel. Algiers is also seeking to protect its energy and economic interests in Niger, notably the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, now under construction, which is intended to carry Nigerian gas to Algeria through Nigerien territory.