Nigerian Soldiers Detained in Burkina Faso After Emergency Landing

Nigerian military personnel remain detained in Burkina Faso following an emergency landing of a transport plane amid heightened regional tensions sparked by a foiled coup attempt in neighboring Benin, officials confirmed Thursday.

The crisis unfolded after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft, en route from Lagos to Portugal on a ferry mission, encountered a technical issue and diverted to Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second-largest city, on Monday. The plane carried two crew members and nine passengers, totaling 11 Nigerian soldiers. The Nigerian Air Force stated the landing adhered to international aviation protocols and standard safety procedures, emphasizing that the crew received cordial treatment from local authorities. Plans to resume the flight were initially announced, but the situation escalated when the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, accused the aircraft of entering Burkinabe airspace without authorization. AES described the incident as an "unfriendly act" in defiance of international law and placed its air defenses on high alert, authorizing member states to neutralize future violations.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf...