The Alliance of Sahel States has condemned the emergency landing of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 in Burkina Faso, describing the incident as a breach of regional airspace at a time of heightened tension across West Africa.
The joint position, aired on state broadcasters in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, said the transport aircraft, which carried 11 Nigerian military personnel, entered Burkinabe airspace without formal clearance before being forced to land in Bobo Dioulasso during an in-flight emergency.
Alliance officials characterised the landing as an unfriendly act and announced that their air forces had been placed on full alert with orders to neutralise any aircraft that violates the alliance’s airspace. The statement offered no clarity on the condition or status of the Nigerian personnel who were aboard the turboprop.
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Relations between the Sahel trio and their neighbours have remained strained since they withdrew from ECOWAS in January and consolidated their own confederation.
All three are governed by military juntas and continue to struggle with entrenched jihadist uprisings that have eroded trust across the region. Their leaders have also shifted away from Western partners, including France, while building closer ties with Russia.
