Niger's president visits Algeria as neighbors mend diplomatic ties

2026-02-15 - 23:05

Algerian state television broadcast images of Tebboune greeting his counterpart at Houari Boumediene International Airport, with a full honor guard and national anthems underscoring the significance of the rapprochement. Describing the visit as reflecting the "depth of historical relations" between the two countries, officials signaled a definitive end to the diplomatic rift that began last April. High-level talks signal reconciliation The reception ceremony drew Algeria's top leadership, including Senate Speaker Azzouz Nasri, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Said Chanegriha, Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, and Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab. Following the official welcome, Tebboune and Tiani held bilateral discussions in the airport's VIP lounge with both delegations present. Local media and analysts view the high-level attendance as confirmation that relations have been fully restored after months of tension. From diplomatic rupture to restoration The diplomatic crisis began in April when Niger, alongside Burkina Faso and Mali, recalled its ambassador from Algeria following Mali's accusation that Algiers had downed one of its drones. Algeria maintained the aircraft violated its airspace, marking the third such breach. Algiers responded by recalling its ambassadors from all three Sahel states under reciprocal measures, though it later acknowledged Niger's action stemmed from alliance solidarity rather than bilateral grievance. Ties began warming in November when Tiani sent Tebboune Revolution Day greetings, followed by Arkab's January visit to review joint oil projects. Strategic partnership and shared projects Thursday's simultaneous return of ambassadors—Ahmed Saadi to Niamey and Aminou Malam Manzo to Algiers—paved the way for Sunday's presidential visit. The neighbors share approximately 950 kilometers of border and collaborate on transformative regional initiatives, including the Trans-Saharan Highway and a proposed gas pipeline designed to transport Nigerian natural gas to European markets through Niger and Algeria. This ambitious project, with potential capacity of 30 billion cubic meters annually, represents a cornerstone of future economic cooperation that the renewed diplomatic engagement now seeks to advance.