Nigerian troops released by Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian military personnel who were detained following an ‘unauthorised entry’ incident, according to The Guardian on December 10th.

The nine passengers and two flight crew members were all arrested after making an emergency landing in Burkina Faso following a mechanical issue on board. The plane was travelling to Portugal for a ferry mission when it landed in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Nigeria’s authorities stated that the landing was conducted in accordance with standard safety procedures.

The incident has occurred during a period of tense relations between Nigeria and Burkina Faso. Nigeria was recently involved in helping to crush the attempted coup in Benin.

Notably Nigeria’s air force has carried out air strikes on Cotonou in Benin targeting rogue army units involved in the execution of the coup. Nigeria is also a core member state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) along with Benin and other states. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formed the AES in 2023, ultimately withdrawing from ECOWAS, describing ‘inhumane’, coup-linked sanctions and activity against the interests of its own citizens, within ECOWAS.

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar made a formal apology to the Burkinabé government for the incident, describing it as an ‘unfortunate incident’. Talks were held in Ouagadougou between Tuggar and President Ibrahim Traoré. The peaceful resolution to the incident prevented an escalation, although relations still remain cold following the formation of AES. Traoré who came to power in a 2022 coup, has worked to move Burkina Faso away from the influence of western states such as that of France, and towards Russia.

The Guardian, Maghrebi.org