Nigeria has responded to a warning issued by Mali after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft en route to Portugal made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso on Monday. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger—placed its air defenses on high alert, calling the landing a violation of Burkina Faso’s airspace.
Mali’s junta leader, Gen. Assimi Goita, authorised defenses to “neutralize any aircraft” entering AES airspace without clearance.
The NAF confirmed on Tuesday that the C-130 aircraft diverted to Bobo-Dioulasso due to an in-flight emergency and landed at the nearest available airfield, in line with international aviation protocols. Air Force spokesman Ehimen Ejodame said the crew “received cordial treatment” from Burkina Faso’s authorities.
The incident comes amid strained ties between Nigeria and the AES, following Nigeria’s role in reversing a coup attempt in Benin, where NAF airstrikes targeted mutineers.