The Government of Burkina Faso announced on Monday that it forced a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft to land after it entered the country’s airspace without authorization. The aircraft, carrying 11 Nigerian military personnel, was diverted to Bobo Dioulasso, a major city in western Burkina Faso.
In a statement issued by the Confederation of Sahel States and published by the state-run Agence d’Information du Burkina, authorities confirmed that the plane was intercepted following an “in-flight emergency” while operating in Burkinabe airspace. The statement clarified that an investigation revealed “the absence of authorization to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device.”
On board were two crew members and nine passengers, all Nigerian military personnel. No further details were provided regarding the nature of the emergency or the mission of the flight.
The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions and follows the suspension of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after recent military coups. Airspace violations have been a sensitive issue in the Sahel, where security and sovereignty concerns are acute.
