According to sources close to El Mouradia Palace, the Algerian government urgently convened a restricted session of the National Security Council late last week. The meeting, chaired by Army Chief of Staff General Saïd Chengriha in the absence of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, reportedly focused on the security situation along Algeria’s southern and eastern borders, particularly with Mali and Libya.
Military leaders are said to have raised alarms about the resurgence of armed groups in northern Mali, where the withdrawal of several international partners has further weakened the central government and triggered renewed instability. Algeria fears that jihadist factions, some of which were previously under its influence, could move closer to key border regions such as Tamanrasset and In Guezzam.
Beyond the official narrative, several diplomats are voicing concern over what they see as Algeria’s expanding regional ambitions.
“This redeployment goes beyond a purely defensive strategy,” noted a European diplomat based in Bamako. “Algiers wants to turn northern Mali into a zone of security influence and eventually establish direct control over parts of the territory”.
A West African diplomat close to ECOWAS echoed this view: “Algeria is moving its pieces. If Bamako remains weakened, Algiers could end up de facto administering certain areas under the guise of counterterrorism”.
The situation along the eastern border with Libya was also a key point of discussion. Algerian intelligence services warn that Libya’s ongoing political fragmentation continues to fuel arms trafficking and cross-border movements of armed groups. Surveillance operations, both aerial and ground-based, are expected to be intensified in the Illizi region, an area historically linked to Libyan territory.
According to multiple observers, the plan under discussion includes a phased redeployment of Algeria’s National People’s Army (ANP) brigades to the border provinces, alongside a strengthening of forward operating bases and increased use of reconnaissance drones.
A French researcher specializing in Sahel security at the Center for Advanced Strategic and Military Studies claims that a paramilitary unit, informally known as « KL-7 », is allegedly conducting destabilization operations in several neighboring countries. These actions are said to be carried out in close coordination with non-state armed groups, some of which are designated as terrorist organizations by the international community.
“Algeria is seeking strategic depth”, the researcher explained. “By securing northern Mali militarily, it aims to reduce the influence of rival powers in the region while solidifying its role as a key actor in the Sahel”.