The Alliance for Sahel States (AES), a regional bloc comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Niger Republic, has accused Nigeria of breaching its airspace after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, involved a C-130 military transport aircraft carrying two crew members and nine passengers, all of whom were military personnel.
In a statement issued by the AES, the bloc explained that the Nigerian aircraft made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso, a major city in Burkina Faso’s south-western region, while transiting through Burkinabè airspace.
Authorities in Burkina Faso launched an investigation into the incident, concluding that the aircraft lacked proper authorisation to fly over the country, a violation the AES described as a breach of international aviation norms and national sovereignty.
“This constitutes an infringement of national sovereignty and a breach of international law and international rules governing civil and military aviation,” the AES said in the statement.
The confederation described the incident as an “unfriendly act” and pledged to take steps to reinforce the security of its airspace and ensure the sovereignty of member states.
“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 bloc stated.
Incident Follows Nigeria’s Role In Foiling Benin Coup
Tensions between Nigeria and the AES have been simmering in recent months and may be reignited by this latest episode. The incident also comes shortly after Nigeria’s military helped foil a coup attempt in neighbouring Benin Republic.
While ECOWAS and Nigeria saw the intervention as necessary to protect democratic order, the AES bloc has viewed it as a hostile move and a continuation of what it describes as external interference.
In January 2025, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), citing a lack of support in fighting terrorism and opposition to sanctions imposed following military coups in the three nations.
Although ECOWAS later lifted the sanctions and introduced guidelines for economic and civil cooperation, such as visa-free travel and duty-free trade, the AES bloc introduced a 0.5 per cent import levy on ECOWAS member countries in April, signalling deepening division.
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