A Nigerian military aircraft’s emergency landing in western Burkina Faso has intensified already strained relations between Abuja and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
In a statement broadcast on state television, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Territorial Administration said the aircraft, carrying nine Nigerian military personnel, entered the country’s airspace without authorization. The AES denounced the incident as an “unfriendly” act, alleging violations of international law and both civil and military aviation rules.
The alliance warned that it has strengthened airspace security and is prepared to neutralize any aircraft that enters without permission.
The episode comes on the heels of Nigeria’s deployment of military planes to Benin to support the government during a recent attempted coup an action Abuja says was carried out at Benin’s request and within ECOWAS protocols.
The region is increasingly divided along political lines. The AES comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso pulled out of ECOWAS in January after the bloc threatened potential intervention in Niger following its 2023 coup. Trade between the two blocs has since been suspended.
West Africa has faced a wave of military takeovers in recent years, with Guinea-Bissau the latest to experience an attempted coup.
