As Morocco rises in the Sahel, Algeria now brings its fighter jets beyond its borders

Four Algerian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets left the national territory for Niamey. They were accompanied by an Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft and an Il-78 tanker, in what now appears to be a major turning point in Algerian military doctrine.

The deployment took place on Sunday 30 August, the day after an attempt to destabilize the Nigerien regime. In its official statement, the Algerian Ministry of Defense explained that the four Su-30s had been sent at the request of the Niamey authorities for a “support mission” for the Nigerien army.

The aircraft ultimately did not take part in the fighting. When the Algerian fighter jets arrived, the mutinous soldiers had already been defeated. But the highly visible nature of the deployment and the communication organized around their arrival give the operation a significance that extends far beyond occasional military assistance.

The Nigerien Press Agency reported that General Abdourahamane Tiani hailed Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s “historic decision” and the “exceptional deployment” of the Algerian aircraft to Niamey.

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For Algiers, the main point is to show that its army can now intervene directly beyond its borders when it considers its regional interests to be threatened.

This development comes at a time when Morocco is gaining ground against Algeria in the Sahel, particularly in Mali.

Algiers wants to regain a foothold in the Sahel

In an analysis published on Wednesday, Le Monde considers that this operation marks a genuine paradigm shift for Algeria.

The daily newspaper recalls that Algiers is seeking to restore influence that has been severely eroded in the region. Relations with Mali have become particularly difficult and, in April 2025, Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou had even recalled their ambassadors from Algeria after the destruction of a Malian drone by the Algerian army.

At the same time, Rabat has multiplied its overtures to Sahel countries. Military cooperation is one component of this: Malian soldiers have notably been trained in Morocco. Rabat is also developing its initiative enabling landlocked Sahel countries to gain access to the Atlantic Ocean.

According to Le Monde, while Morocco was taking advantage of the difficulties encountered by Algeria to strengthen its influence, particularly in Mali, Algiers now needed to regain a foothold in the region. Niger represents the most accessible partner for it within the Alliance of Sahel States.

The stakes go beyond the military question alone.

Algeria is relying in particular on the trans-Saharan gas pipeline project that is supposed to link Nigeria to its territory through Niger. This project is directly competing with the Atlantic Africa gas pipeline backed by Morocco and Nigeria.

Niger’s stability is therefore strategic for Algiers. Security expert Akram Kharief even told Le Monde that this gas-related issue probably weighed on Algeria’s decision to quickly support the authorities in Niamey after the attempt at destabilization.

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This military demonstration nevertheless raises another question in Algeria: compliance with the Constitution.

The 2020 constitutional revision specifically opened the way to external interventions, legally breaking with several decades of non-intervention doctrine. Article 91 allows the president to decide to send units of the People’s National Army abroad, but only after approval by a two-thirds majority in each of the two chambers of Parliament.

Yet, according to Le Monde, Algerian lawmakers were not consulted before the Su-30s were sent to Niger. Subsequent approval nevertheless remains possible.

The operation therefore sends a signal on several levels. In Niamey, it shows that Algiers is ready to defend its new partners. Across the Sahel, it reflects the desire to recover some of the ground lost in recent years. And in relation to Morocco, it chiefly reveals that the rivalry for influence between the two neighbors is no longer being played out solely on the diplomatic and economic fronts: Algiers is now willing to put its military capabilities directly on the table.