Algeria’s upper house backed a presidential decision to send an army unit to Niger on Oct. 25, advancing a deployment process that still requires approval from the lower chamber.
The Council of the Nation voted unanimously in a closed session, Anadolu reported. Council members received notice of the emergency session on Oct. 22.
According to Anadolu’s correspondent, council members told local media the detachment would secure Sonatrach oil projects in Niger. The People’s National Assembly, Algeria’s lower house, was expected to vote on the same decision on Oct. 25.
Article 91 of Algeria’s Constitution requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber before the president can deploy army units abroad. The rule applies to both houses, so the lower chamber’s vote remains necessary after the upper house’s decision.
The proposed deployment remained contingent on approval by the lower house.
