Algeria boosts defense ties with former rival

The agreement marks another step in rebuilding ties with Niger following a diplomatic crisis in 2025

Algeria and Niger have signed a military cooperation agreement following talks between defense chiefs in Algiers, the Algerian Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday. The deal marks another step in the restoration of ties between Algeria and its Sahel neighbors following a diplomatic rift last year.

The agreement was signed at a meeting between Algeria’s chief of staff, Lieutenant General Said Chengriha, and Niger’s defense minister, Lieutenant General Salifou Modi, who arrived in the country leading a military delegation. The two sides discussed strengthening bilateral military and security cooperation and addressing shared challenges.

Chengriha reaffirmed Algeria’s willingness to consider proposals aimed at improving cooperation. “I also wish to reaffirm to you our readiness in the People’s National Army to study any Nigerien proposal that would enhance military and security cooperation,” he said.

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Modi praised the level of coordination between the two countries’ armed forces across multiple areas. The meeting concluded with the signing of a cooperation protocol, although the ministry did not disclose specific provisions of the agreement.

The move follows a broader rapprochement between Algeria and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which began earlier this year. 

Relations deteriorated in April 2025 after Algeria shot down a Malian drone near their shared border, claiming it violated Algerian airspace, prompting all three AES members to recall their ambassadors. Bamako rejected the accusation and said the aircraft was destroyed over Mali.

READ MORE: Algeria and Mali restore ties after yearlong rift

Algeria and the three Sahel states fully restored diplomatic ties earlier this year. In recent months, cooperation between Algiers and Niamey has expanded. In August, Algeria deployed four Su-30 fighter jets, along with military transport and refueling aircraft, to support Niger following a failed military mutiny at an airbase in Niamey. In February, the two states agreed to restart work on the long-delayed Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, a project designed to transport Nigerian gas through Niger and Algeria to Europe.