Burkina Faso authorities have held a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft after it allegedly entered the country’s airspace without official clearance.
The incident occurred on Monday in Bobo-Dioulasso and has sparked fresh diplomatic concerns across the Sahel region.
According to Burkina Faso’s information agency, the aircraft was transporting 11 Nigerian military personnel — including two crew members and nine passengers — when it reportedly made an unscheduled emergency landing.
Officials of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) stated that initial findings showed the aircraft did not have the required authorization to fly through Burkina Faso’s airspace. The authorities described the entry as a breach of national sovereignty and expressed strong dissatisfaction over what they called an “unauthorised incursion.”
In response, the regional alliance announced that its air defence and anti-aircraft units had been placed on high alert, warning that any future violations would be met with a firm military reaction.
As at the time this report was filed, neither the Nigerian Air Force nor the Federal Government had released an official comment on the situation.
