A Nigerian military aircraft made an emergency landing in western Burkina Faso on Sunday, triggering a sharp diplomatic dispute between Abuja and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). According to a statement read on national television by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Territorial Administration, the AES said the plane — carrying nine Nigerian military personnel entered Burkinabe airspace without prior authorization. The bloc described the incident as an “unfriendly and unacceptable act” that violated international aviation rules and military flight protocols. AES officials said they have strengthened airspace surveillance and warned they are prepared to intercept or neutralize any future unauthorized aircraft.
The incident unfolded just a day after Nigeria deployed military aircraft to Benin to help defeat a short-lived coup attempt. Abuja maintains that its assistance was requested by Benin’s government and carried out under established ECOWAS security frameworks. Relations between ECOWAS and the AES made up of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have deteriorated sharply since the three junta-led states withdrew from the bloc in January 2024. Trade and security cooperation between the blocs remain suspended. West Africa has been hit by a wave of coups in recent years, the latest in Guinea-Bissau, further widening the political divide between democratic governments and military-led states.
The AES claims ECOWAS overstepped by threatening military intervention after Niger’s 2023 coup a key factor that pushed the alliance to break away. The emergency landing in Burkina Faso now adds new fuel to an already tense regional standoff.
