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| Burkina Faso's military leader Ibrahim Traoré |
Burkina Faso’s military government has seized a Nigerian Air Force transport aircraft and detained 11 Nigerian military personnel, escalating regional tensions.
The incident occurred when Burkinabe authorities intercepted a Nigerian C-130 Hercules aircraft in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a bloc of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, stated the plane violated Burkinabe airspace without authorization while en route from operations in Benin.
According to an official AES statement, air defenses forced the aircraft to land due to an “in-flight emergency.” An investigation allegedly confirmed the lack of flight clearance. The plane was impounded, and the two crew members and nine soldiers on board were taken into custody for questioning. No injuries were reported, and the personnel remain detained as of December 9, 2025.
This detention occurs against a backdrop of heightened friction in West Africa. It follows Nigeria's recent deployment of fighter jets and troops to neighboring Benin on December 7 to help suppress a coup attempt by mutinous soldiers, which led to approximately 14 arrests.
The AES, formed after its member states underwent military coups and exited the ECOWAS regional bloc, has recently intensified warnings against external military involvement. The alliance has declared that unauthorized aircraft in its airspace will be “neutralized.”