The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commenced high-level diplomatic engagement with the government of Burkina Faso following the continued detention of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 aircraft and 11 military personnel in the Sahel country.
This comes amid escalating tensions between Nigeria and the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Niger Republic, over what the trio described as a breach of airspace and national sovereignty.
The NAF had earlier clarified that the aircraft, which was en route to Portugal, made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, due to a technical fault.
Sources who spoke with Vanguard on the development, on Wednesday, stated that though the NAF aircraft followed due process and international aviation statutes in making the precautionary landing, AES are seeing the situation as an opportunity to get back at Nigeria, following its role in the actions taken by the regional bloc, which led to their withdrawal from the group.
It was gathered that the situation has prompted high-level diplomatic intervention between Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and officials of the government of Burkina Faso.
A source said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stepped in. The aircraft was ready to continue its journey to Portugal on Tuesday, but signals from the Burkina Faso officials are unclear. It will be sorted out at the diplomatic level.”
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment, Kimiebi Ebienfa, in an interview with Vanguard, said earlier reports that the detained Nigerian military aircraft and soldiers had been released were false.
Ebienfa said, “He, however, said that the federal government was engaging its Burkina Faso counterpart diplomatically in order to secure the release of the soldiers and the aircraft.
“They have not been released as we speak, but we are trying to secure that. We are engaging the Burkina Faso authorities using usual diplomatic channels.”
When asked what could have caused the Burkinabe government’s delay in releasing them, he said the ministry wasn’t aware and assured that all diplomatic channels were being explored to bring the detainees home.
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