OUAGADOUGOU/ABUJA — The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has warned Nigeria that it will neutralise any unauthorised aircraft entering its airspace, after a Nigerian military plane made an emergency landing in western Burkina Faso.
Incident Details
Burkina Faso’s Minister of Territorial Administration said the plane, carrying nine Nigerian military personnel, had no authorisation to enter Burkinabe airspace. The AES condemned the incident as an “unfriendly” act and a violation of international aviation law.
The alliance announced it had bolstered airspace security and was prepared to act against future incursions.
Regional Divide
The dispute comes days after Nigeria deployed military aircraft to Benin to help defend the government against an attempted coup. Abuja said it acted at Benin’s request under ECOWAS mechanisms.
But relations between ECOWAS and the AES — made up of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso — have deteriorated sharply. The AES quit ECOWAS in January 2025 after the bloc threatened intervention in Niger following its 2023 coup. Trade between the blocs has since been suspended.
Wider Context
West Africa has seen a string of military coups, most recently in Guinea-Bissau, deepening political fractures across the region.