The Alliance for Sahel States (AES) has accused Nigeria of violating its airspace after a Nigerian military transport aircraft made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso.
In a statement released on Monday, the confederation—made up of Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Niger Republic—said the aircraft carried two crew members and nine passengers, all of whom were military personnel.
According to the statement, the aircraft, identified as a C-130 belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, landed in Bobo Dioulasso, a major city in the southwest of Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency while transiting the country’s airspace.
The AES further noted that Burkinabè authorities immediately opened an investigation upon identifying the aircraft. Their findings reportedly revealed that the Nigerian aircraft did not have the required authorisation to fly over Burkina Faso.
The confederation said this amounted to an infringement of national sovereignty and a breach of international aviation norms.
This development threatens to revive tensions between the AES and Nigeria amid growing political strain in West Africa. It also comes shortly after the Nigerian Army’s intervention in the Republic of Benin to help thwart a recent coup attempt.
PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that the intervention followed a request from Benin’s President, Patrice Talon, who sought Nigeria’s immediate military support to prevent a forceful takeover of power.
The AES, however, described the unauthorised flight as an “unfriendly act” and a “disregard for international law and the rules governing civil and military aviation.”
“Measures have been taken to ensure the security of the Confederation’s airspace, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its member states, and the safety of the populations of the AES Confederation,” the statement added.
The three AES members formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2025, after a year-long attempt by the regional bloc to persuade them to reconsider. The juntas in all three nations had accused ECOWAS of failing to support them in their fight against terrorism and of imposing sanctions they said harmed their populations.
While ECOWAS later lifted the sanctions, the bloc subsequently issued new guidelines on how it would engage with the departing states, including transitional measures to reduce disruptions for citizens and businesses.
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