The Confederation of the States of the Sahel has authorised the military in the member-states to neutralise any aircraft that violates its airspace.
This follows the incident involving a Nigerian Air Force aircraft which was forced to land on Monday in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an ’emergency situation in flight’ while it was operating in that country’s airspace.
The Burkinabe government immediately forced down the aircraft and alleged that it violated its airspace. Eleven Nigerian soldiers in the aircraft were then detained.
The countries in the Confederation of the States of the Sahel (also known as the Alliance of Sahel States or AES) are Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, a military alliance formed in late 2023 for mutual defence and greater regional integration after withdrawing from sub-regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The communiqué, issued in Bamako, the Malian capital, was dated 8 December 2025 and signed by Mali’s Head of State, General Assimi Goïta, who is also the President of the Confederation.
It read: “The Confederation of the States of the Sahel informs the public that an aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a C-130, was forced to land today, 8 December 2025, in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency while it was operating in Burkinabe airspace.
‘The military aircraft had on board two (2) crew members and nine (9) passengers, all of them military personnel.
‘An investigation was immediately opened by the competent Burkinabe authorities, which confirmed that this military aircraft had no authorisation to fly over Burkinabe territory.
‘The Confederation of the States of the Sahel firmly condemns this violation of its airspace and of the sovereignty of its member-states.
‘In the face of this unfriendly act carried out in disregard of international law and international civil and/or military aviation rules, 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.
‘In this regard, and following instructions from the Heads of State, the air and anti-air defenses of the confederal space have been placed on maximum alert. In accordance with the Declaration of the College of Heads of State dated 22 December 2024, they have been authorised to neutralise any aircraft that violates confederal airspace’.
Last Sunday night, the Nigerian government had commended the gallantry of its military for responding swiftly to the request by the Benin Republic government to save its 35-year-old democracy from coup plotters who struck at dawn on Sunday.
Earlier that day, a group of soldiers had appeared on Benin Republic’s state television to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup attempt in Nigeria’s western neighbour.
They announced the overthrow of President Patrice Talon, who has been in power since 2016, and the dissolution of all state institutions.
The troops referred to themselves as part of the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR), and said that they had met and decided that “Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic”.
According to a statement on Sunday night by his spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian president acted on two separate requests from the Beninoise government.
Onanuga said that President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the national television and a military camp where they had regrouped.
