By Mohammed Bello Doka
December 8, 2025
Tensions between rival regional blocs in West Africa escalated on Monday after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 transport aircraft was intercepted and compelled to land at Bobo-Dioulasso International Airport in Burkina Faso for allegedly entering the country’s airspace without authorization.
The incident was confirmed by the Confederation of Sahel States (AES)—made up of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—which said 11 Nigerian military personnel, comprising two crew members and nine passengers, were taken into custody. The development has raised fresh concerns about a possible regional standoff.
In an official communiqué signed by the AES president and Mali’s interim leader, General Assimi Goïta, the bloc described the incident as a “flagrant violation of confederal airspace and the sovereignty of member states.” According to the statement, the aircraft triggered an in-flight emergency while flying over Burkinabe territory, prompting authorities to require it to land. Subsequent checks reportedly showed that the flight had no prior clearance to enter Burkina Faso’s airspace.
The episode came barely a day after an attempted coup was thwarted in neighbouring Benin Republic, where the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) deployed troops—including Nigerian forces—to support President Patrice Talon’s government. Nigerian military aircraft were reportedly seen over Cotonou during the emergency response. Analysts have speculated that the C-130 aircraft may have been returning from, or heading to, operations linked to the Benin situation, suggesting the airspace breach could have been inadvertent.
The AES reaction was swift and uncompromising. General Goïta announced that the alliance’s air and anti-aircraft defence systems had been placed on maximum alert, with authorization to neutralize any future unauthorized incursions. The communiqué warned that the act, which it said violated international aviation rules, would not go unpunished, stressing the bloc’s resolve to defend its territorial integrity amid persistent insecurity and jihadist threats.
As of late Monday, the Nigerian authorities had yet to issue an official statement. However, the detention prompted strong reactions on social media, with many Nigerians condemning the move as excessive. The 11 military personnel remain in custody in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso’s second-largest city, while diplomatic engagements are said to be ongoing. No timeline for their release has been announced.
The incident highlights widening cracks in West Africa since the formation of the AES in 2024, following military takeovers in its member states and their withdrawal from ECOWAS. While the Sahel bloc has previously threatened airspace restrictions affecting Nigerian flights, this marks the most direct confrontation involving military assets so far.
With shared borders and overlapping security challenges, particularly cross-border militant activity, the development risks further straining already fragile cooperation in the region. ECOWAS officials reportedly met in Abuja to discuss the situation and call for de-escalation, while AES foreign ministers convened in Ouagadougou to coordinate their security and communication strategies.
As investigations continue, the incident underscores how rapidly political and security tensions in the Sahel can spill into open confrontation.