The Government of Burkina Faso has confirmed that a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying 11 military personnel was forced to land in Bobo Dioulasso on Monday after allegedly violating the country’s airspace.
The incident was disclosed by the state-run Agence d’Information du Burkina, which published a statement from the Confederation of Sahel States.
According to the translated statement, the aircraft — with two crew members and nine passengers onboard — made an in-flight emergency landing while operating in Burkinabe airspace.
However, Burkinabe authorities said a subsequent investigation “highlighted the absence of authorisation to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device,” describing the episode as a breach of airspace and sovereign regulations.
The AES, which comprises Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, strongly condemned the incident, calling it a “violation of the confederal airspace.” The bloc said its air and anti-air defence systems had been placed on “maximum alert,” adding that member states are now authorised to “neutralise any aircraft” that enters their airspace without clearance.
The incident occurred shortly after Nigerian military forces reportedly intervened in the neighbouring Benin Republic following a failed coup attempt.
As of the time of filing this report, Nigerian authorities had not issued an official statement on the aircraft’s diversion, the nature of the in-flight emergency, or whether flight clearance had been sought. The status of the detained personnel and the grounded aircraft also remains unclear.
