UPDATE: Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 Releases Detained Nigerian Soldiers
After days of growing tension, Burkina Faso has released the 11 Nigerian soldiers who were detained following an emergency landing of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft.
The incident began when a C-130 military plane entered Burkinabè airspace without prior authorization and landed in Bobo-Dioulasso. Authorities reacted swiftly, citing sovereignty concerns, leading to the temporary detention of the crew.
Nigeria maintained that the aircraft was heading to Portugal and only diverted due to a technical fault that forced the emergency landing.
The release of the soldiers brings relief amid rising regional sensitivity, especially as Burkina Faso and other members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) continue to be wary of external military movements.
For now, it appears the situation has been resolved peacefully — but it remains a reminder of how fragile military and diplomatic relations are in the Sahel.