The Alliance for Sahel States (AES) has accused Nigeria of breaching its airspace following an emergency landing by a Nigerian military transport aircraft in Burkina Faso.
In a statement released on Monday, the confederation, made up of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, said the Nigerian Air Force C130 aircraft, which had two crew members and nine military passengers on board, made an unscheduled landing in Bobo Dioulasso after experiencing an in-flight emergency while passing through Burkina Faso’s airspace.
According to the AES, preliminary findings by Burkinabè authorities revealed that the aircraft did not have authorisation to fly over the country.
The confederation said the discovery amounts to a violation of national sovereignty and a breach of international aviation regulations.
The AES condemned the incident, describing it as an “unfriendly act” and a “disregard of international law and international rules governing civil and/or military aviation.”
It added that measures had been taken to strengthen the security and territorial integrity of member states’ airspace.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between Nigeria and members of the AES, especially following Nigeria’s recent military intervention in the Republic of Benin to halt a failed coup attempt.
The strained relations are further complicated by the wider political climate in West Africa.
The AES, formed after Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2025, has consistently accused the regional bloc of imposing punitive sanctions and failing to support them against terrorism.
Although ECOWAS later lifted sanctions and issued transitional guidelines to maintain trade and free movement between citizens, the AES countered in April by imposing a 0.5 percent import levy on ECOWAS member states.
The confederation warned that it would continue taking steps to protect its airspace, sovereignty, and the security of its population.
