A Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso on Monday after experiencing what officials described as an “in-flight emergency situation” while operating in Burkinabe airspace.
According to local authorities, the plane was carrying two crew members and nine passengers, all military personnel. An immediate investigation by Burkinabe services revealed that the aircraft did not have authorization to fly over Burkina Faso.
In response, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) issued a strongly worded communique condemning the incident as a violation of its airspace and sovereignty. The bloc described the unauthorized flight as “an inimical act carried out in contempt of international law and international rules of civil and/or military aviation.”
General Assimi Goïta, president of the Confederation, announced that measures were being taken to safeguard the region’s skies. He emphasized that the AES would ensure “the security of the confederal airspace, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its member states, as well as the security of the populations of the Confederation.”
Goïta further declared that, under instructions from the Heads of State, air and anti-aircraft defenses across the confederal space had been placed on maximum alert. In line with a declaration issued by the College of Heads of State in December 2024, AES forces have been authorized to neutralize any aircraft found violating its airspace.
The incident underscores rising tensions in the Sahel region, where governments have increasingly tightened security measures amid concerns over sovereignty and external military operations.
