Algeria, Niger vow to deepen ties with gas pipeline relaunch

ALGIERS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Nigerien leader Abdourahamane Tiani pledged Monday to deepen strategic ties, signaling a detente to 10 months of diplomatic friction with the relaunch of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline.

Following talks in Algiers, Tebboune confirmed that work on the 4,100-kilometer pipeline will resume after Ramadan. The project is designed to carry 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria's Mediterranean coast for export to Europe. Long stalled by security concerns and shifting political alliances in the Sahel, the pipeline is seen as a flagship for regional energy ambitions.

Tiani's two-day visit, which began Sunday, marks a significant thaw in relations. Algeria and Niger restored full diplomatic ties on Feb. 12, following a rift triggered in April 2025 when Algeria shot down an armed drone near its southern border with Mali. Although the drone was Malian, the incident prompted a collective response from the Alliance of Sahel States. Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, recalled its ambassador in solidarity with Mali.

"A new page in the history of the Sahel and Africa has opened," Tiani said during a joint press conference, calling the renewed engagement a pragmatic step to address growing security and economic challenges.

Beyond energy, Tiani's delegation, which included ministers of defense, foreign affairs, and petroleum, discussed expanding cooperation in mining and electricity.