A diplomatic row is brewing between Nigeria and Burkina Faso after authorities in Ouagadougou refused to release a detained Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft and its 11 military personnel.
The aircraft made a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso on Monday due to a technical fault, according to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), which stated all protocols were followed. However, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) — comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — alleges the plane entered Burkinabe airspace without clearance, calling it a “breach of national sovereignty.”
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now stepped in, engaging in diplomatic channels to secure the release. Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa confirmed the soldiers and aircraft are still held, contradicting earlier reports of their release.
Sources indicate the detention may be linked to broader regional tensions, following the AES nations’ withdrawal from ECOWAS last year and Nigeria’s leading role in the bloc’s earlier sanctions against the military juntas.
The NAF says the crew is safe and treated cordially, but plans to resume the aircraft’s ferry mission to Portugal have been stalled.
Disclaimer:
This report is based on official statements from the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and reports from Burkinabe state media. The underlying diplomatic motivations have not been independently verified by CDA News.
© 2025 CDA News. All rights reserved.
