At least 11 Nigerian soldiers are currently being held by the military regime in Bobo-Dioulasso in the South West of Burkina Faso.
They were captured after their aircraft conducted an emergency landing while “violating AES airspace.”.
This was confirmed by AES in a statement shared on X by security analyst, Brant Grant, on Monday night.
The AES claims a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft violated Burkinabe airspace and conducted an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso.
The statement also warned that any unauthorized aircraft violating AES airspace will be neutralized.
This comes after the Nigerian government deployed its military fighter jets into Benin Republic on Sunday, following an attempted coup in the neighbouring country.
An action strongly opposed by AES governments, who have accused ECOWAS and Nigeria of “aggressive posturing” in recent months.
As at press time, no diplomatic breakthrough has been announced between Abuja and Ouagadougou. Nigerian defence officials have not publicly commented on the detention, while Burkina Faso’s military government insists the matter is under “intense investigation.”
The standoff adds a volatile new layer to already strained relations in the subregion, following Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger’s withdrawal from ECOWAS earlier this year and the formation of their own security and political pact, the Alliance of Sahel States.
