Burkina Faso: AES Slams Nigeria for “Violation of Confederal Airspace,” Orders Maximum Alert, Neutralization of Intruding Aircraft
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The Confederation of Sahel States (AES) has issued a strongly worded communiqué accusing Nigeria of violating its airspace after a military aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force was forced to land in Burkina Faso on Monday, December 8, 2025.
According to the communiqué, “an aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a C130-type plane, was forced to land today, December 8, 2025, in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency while it was flying through Burkinabè airspace.” The AES stated that the plane carried “two (02) crew members and nine (09) passengers, all military personnel.”
Burkinabè authorities immediately opened an investigation, which, according to AES, revealed that the aircraft entered the confederal airspace without clearance. The communiqué noted that investigators found that “the aircraft did not have authorization to fly over Burkinabè territory.”
Describing the incident as a serious breach, the Confederation declared: “The Confederation of Sahel States strongly condemns this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states.”
The statement further criticized what it called “this unfriendly act carried out in disregard of international law and international civil and/or military aviation regulations,” stressing that the AES had taken new steps to reinforce its security posture.
According to the communiqué, the confederal leadership moved swiftly to introduce stronger defensive measures aimed at protecting its skies. “Measures have been taken to ensure the security of the confederal airspace, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its member states, as well as the safety of the populations of the AES Confederation,” it said.
In what marks one of its most explicit military directives yet, the AES disclosed that its air and anti-air systems have now been placed on maximum readiness. The communiqué stated: “On the instruction of the Heads of State, the air and anti-air defenses of the confederal space—placed on maximum alert in accordance with the Declaration of the College of Heads of State dated December 22, 2024—have been authorized to neutralize any aircraft that violates confederal airspace.”
The statement, issued in the name of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), underscores growing regional tensions and signals the bloc’s resolve to assert and defend its sovereignty in the face of what it views as external provocations.
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