The Algerian contingent arrived with four Su-30 fighter jets, an Il-76 transport and an Il-78 aerial tanker, touching down at the facility adjacent to Diori Hamani International Airport. Algeria's Ministry of National Defence said the deployment came at the request of Nigerien authorities and was intended to support Niger's armed forces against what the authorities described as an "attempt to destabilize" the State.
The deployment follows earlier Algerian shipments of military aid to Niamey. Several days before the jets arrived, Algiers donated four helicopters along with ammunition, spare parts, maintenance equipment and logistical support to Nigerien forces, strengthening ties between the two militaries.
The move comes after an attempted uprising during the night of August 28-29, when residents reported gunfire and explosions in the city centre, around the Presidency, near the headquarters of Niger's Radio and Television network, and close to Air Base 101. Nigerien authorities said they had regained control and restored calm during the day on August 29. An official ceremony at Air Base 101 on Sunday, August 30 marked the arrival of the Algerian aircraft.
Air Base 101 is already a focal point for foreign military presence in Niamey. The facility hosts a contingent of the Italy military mission, the last remaining Western force after the withdrawal of French, US and German troops, and contains the joint headquarters of the Alliance of Sahel States, which brings together Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. The base also accommodates the Africa Corps, the Russian force operating under the Ministry of Defence in Moscow, which replaced Wagner mercenaries and helped thwart the recent uprising.
The site has been targeted repeatedly this year, first on January 29 in an attack claimed by the Islamic State in the Sahel, then on June 18 in an assault attributed to JNIM, and now on August 29 by rebel soldiers, underscoring its strategic vulnerability.
Algeria's aviation deployment is the first overseas movement of its military, and it elevates Algiers' role in Sahel security operations. The presence at the AES joint headquarters may also affect relations with Bamako. Algeria has resumed relations with Mali after earlier tensions, but ties deteriorated through 2023 and 2024, particularly after Mali pulled out of the 2015 Algiers Agreement. Mali has accused Algeria of supporting or sheltering certain armed groups, and analysts say the new Algerian presence at the heart of the AES command could mark a turning point in relations between Bamako and Algiers.
What happens next will hinge on how Niger, regional partners and external forces manage overlapping military footprints at Air Base 101, and whether the Algerian presence stabilises the junta's grip or deepens geopolitical frictions in the Sahel.
