A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) transport aircraft made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso late Monday, prompting a strong response from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which accused Nigeria of violating Burkinabe airspace.
The AES, a regional bloc comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, said it had placed its air and anti-aircraft defence systems on maximum alert, with authorization “to neutralize any aircraft that violates the confederation’s airspace,” according to a statement issued by Mali’s military leader, Gen. Assimi Goita.
In its response on Tuesday, the Nigerian Air Force confirmed that one of its aircraft, which was en route to Portugal, landed in the western Burkinabe city of Bobo-Dioulasso after experiencing an in-flight emergency. The Air Force did not immediately disclose details about the nature of the technical issue.
NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said the landing was carried out in strict compliance with international safety protocols. “NAF crew is safe and have received cordial treatment from the host authorities,” he said in a statement.
The AES statement noted that the aircraft carried two crew members and nine passengers, all Nigerian military personnel.
The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions between Nigeria and the AES. Relations between both sides have deteriorated since Nigeria supported regional intervention efforts that helped foil a short-lived coup in Benin on Sunday. Nigerian Air Force aircraft were reportedly involved in strikes against the coup plotters.
Burkina Faso shares a northwestern border with Benin, while Nigeria borders Benin to the east, placing all three nations in a complex geopolitical zone increasingly defined by shifting alliances and military interventions.
Nigeria remains a key member of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has clashed with the AES following the latter’s withdrawal from the bloc. The AES has accused ECOWAS of imposing “inhumane coup-related sanctions” and pursuing policies that work “against the interests of citizens in alliance countries.”
