Nigeria has formally apologised to Burkina Faso over the unauthorised entry of a Nigerian military jet into Burkinabè airspace, an incident that led to the detention of 11 Nigerian servicemen. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, tendered the apology on behalf of the Nigerian government.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) plane, with 11 personnel on board, was en route to Portugal when it developed a technical fault and had to land in Burkina Faso, according to the NAF.
Mr Tuggar led a delegation to the Burkinabè capital, Ouagadougou, on Wednesday, December 17, to discuss the incident with the country’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
“There were irregularities concerning the overflight authorisations, which were regrettable, and we apologise for this unfortunate incident,” Mr Tuggar said on national television.
The unauthorised landing sparked a diplomatic row with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), made up of Burkina Faso and its neighbours Mali and Niger.
It is understood that the detained personnel have been released and are due to return to Nigeria.
In a statement, AES described the unauthorised landing as an “unfriendly act” and said member states’ air forces had been placed on maximum alert and authorised to “neutralise any aircraft” found to violate the confederation’s airspace.
The three AES states, all run by military governments, have withdrawn from the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, and moved closer to Russia, while most Ecowas members remain allied with the West.
It remains unclear when the military personnel, said to be in “high spirits,” and the aircraft will return to Nigeria.
According to Nigeria’s foreign ministry, both sides agreed to “sustain regular consultations and pursue practical measures to deepen bilateral cooperation and regional integration.”
