The military juntas in power in the Alliance of Sahel States (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) denounced on Monday evening a violation of their airspace after the emergency landing of a Nigerian military plane in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

The AES, which pursues a sovereignist and anti-imperialist policy, maintains very tense relations with other West African countries and left the ECOWAS regional bloc last year, of which Nigeria is a pillar.

In a joint statement, read on the channels of the three countries, the confederation indicated that "a C-130 type aircraft belonging to the air force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was forced to land today in Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso following an emergency situation in flight while it was operating in Burkinabe airspace".

The AES specifies that this plane had eleven people on board, all military personnel, and that an investigation opened has "highlighted the lack of authorization to fly over Burkinabe territory for this aircraft".

The juntas did not specify the fate of the eleven soldiers.

Condemning an "unfriendly act", the AES put its air and anti-aircraft defenses "on maximum alert", which are authorized to "neutralize any aircraft that violates confederate airspace".

This renewed tension comes as Nigeria helped its neighbour and friend Benin on Sunday to thwart a coup attempt, notably by conducting airstrikes on the economic capital Cotonou.

An attempted coup that was applauded on social media by numerous pro-AES accounts.

The military plane that had to make an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso does not appear to have a direct link to this case, given the geography of the region.