ABUJA, Nigeria — In a significant diplomatic resolution, Burkina Faso’s military government has released all 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel who had been detained since December 8th following an emergency landing of their aircraft. The release concludes weeks of tension between the West African nations and demonstrates the power of diplomatic engagement in regional conflicts.
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar announced the breakthrough on Thursday, crediting “sustained dialogue” between the two nations for resolving the sensitive matter. The personnel, comprising two flight crew members and nine passengers, were freed following high-level meetings between a Nigerian delegation led by Minister Tuggar and officials from Burkina Faso’s military regime under Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The incident began when a Nigerian Air Force aircraft bound for Portugal for scheduled maintenance was forced to make an emergency landing in western Burkina Faso. Nigerian officials emphasized that the landing was conducted in full compliance with international aviation guidelines and standard safety procedures.
The emergency landing triggered immediate security concerns within the Alliance of Sahel States—a regional security bloc comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The alliance responded by placing its air and anti-aircraft defenses on maximum alert, with authorization “to neutralize any aircraft that violates the confederation’s airspace,” according to a statement from Mali’s military junta leader General Assimi Goita.
The resolution comes amid increasingly fractured relations between the Alliance of Sahel States and Nigeria, which remains a key member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The three Sahel nations recently withdrew from ECOWAS, accusing the regional bloc of imposing inhumane sanctions and working against their citizens’ interests.
Adding to regional tensions, Nigeria recently participated in intervention efforts that helped reverse a short-lived coup in Benin, where Nigerian Air Force conducted airstrikes targeting coup plotters. Burkina Faso shares a northwestern border with Benin, while Nigeria borders Benin to the east.
Following the successful diplomatic negotiations, both nations have agreed to establish regular consultation mechanisms and pursue concrete steps to deepen bilateral cooperation and regional integration. The released personnel are now proceeding with their original mission to Portugal for the scheduled aircraft maintenance.