Sahel confederation detains 11 Nigerian soldiers after aircraft forced to land in Burkina Faso

The newly formed Confederation of Sahel States (AES) has announced the detention of 11 Nigerian military personnel after their aircraft was forced to land in Burkina Faso. ‎The incident involves a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C130 aircraft, which the AES claims violated Burkina Faso’s airspace while experiencing an in-flight emergency on Monday, December 8, 2025. Nigeria played an undeniable role in foiling a recent coup attempt in Benin Republic, which was opposed by the AES member states.
‎
The Confederation of Sahel States (AES), a bloc formed by coup-hit nations Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to rival ECOWAS, issued a statement via the state-run Agence d’Information du Burkina.
‎
The AES confirmed that a NAF C130 aircraft with two crew members and nine military passengers (11 total soldiers) was forced to land in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
‎
The AES after investigation stated that the soldiers lack authorisation to fly over Burkinabe territory, describing it as an unfriendly act and a violation of its member state’s sovereignty and international law.
‎
The AES condemned the action and announced that, on the instructions of its Heads of State, the Airian and anti-aircraft defenses of the Confederal space have been put on alert and authorized to neutralize any aircraft violating the airspace.
‎
Nigeria recently confirmed deploying troops to Benin Republic to assist in thwarting a coup attempt, a development that could have led to Benin joining the anti-ECOWAS AES bloc.
‎
As at the time this report was published, it remains unclear whether the Nigerian aircraft and the 11 soldiers were part of the ECOWAS standby force or among the troops deployed to Benin. As of Tuesday morning, the Federal Government of Nigeria is yet to officially comment on the AES statement regarding the detention of its personnel.
‎
‎