By Obinna Uballa
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has accused Nigeria of breaching its airspace after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 transport aircraft made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso, escalating diplomatic strains between Abuja and the junta-led bloc.
In a statement issued on Monday, the AES – comprising Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic – said the aircraft, which carried two crew members and nine military passengers, landed in Bobo Dioulasso following an in-flight emergency while transiting Burkinabè airspace.
Burkina Faso’s authorities said they opened an immediate investigation upon identifying the aircraft. According to the AES, preliminary findings showed that the Nigerian crew did not obtain the required overflight authorisation before entering the country’s airspace, a violation it described as an infringement on national sovereignty and a breach of international aviation rules.
The confederation condemned the incident as an “unfriendly act” and a “disregard of international law and international rules governing civil and military aviation,” adding that new measures have been activated to “ensure the security of the Confederation’s airspace and safeguard the territorial integrity of its member states.”
The development threatens to deepen existing tensions between Nigeria and the AES, coming at a time of heightened political friction across West Africa. It also follows Nigeria’s recent military intervention in neighbouring Benin Republic, where troops helped foil a coup attempt at the request of President Patrice Talon.
Relations between the AES bloc and Nigeria have grown increasingly fragile since Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso formally withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025. The juntas accused the regional body of imposing punitive sanctions that harmed their populations and of failing to support their counterterrorism efforts, claims ECOWAS denied.
Although ECOWAS lifted the sanctions and later issued transitional guidelines to maintain visa-free movement, duty-free trade and residency rights for citizens of the three countries, the AES responded in April with a 0.5 per cent import levy on goods originating from ECOWAS states.
The latest aircraft incident risks widening the diplomatic gulf, with the AES warning that it will continue taking steps to secure its skies and borders while reinforcing its sovereignty against what it views as external interference.
