The declaration was read on state media across the three West African countries.
The Alliance of Sahel States, comprising military-controlled countries including Mali, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso, has condemned the emergency landing of a Nigerian military aircraft in Burkina Faso, describing the incident as an “unfriendly act” and warning that further airspace violations would attract decisive action.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the military-led alliance said the Nigerian Air Force aircraft was forced to land in Bobo Dioulasso, southwestern Burkina Faso, without authorisation while operating within Burkinabe airspace.
“An aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, type C-130, was forced to land today in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency situation while it was operating in Burkinabe airspace,” the statement said, according to AFP.
The declaration was read on state media across the three West African countries.
According to the alliance, the aircraft was carrying 11 military personnel and did not have prior clearance to fly over Burkina Faso.
The Sahel Alliance, however, did not disclose what became of the personnel onboard following the emergency landing.
The Sahel Alliance further stated that the landing constituted an “unfriendly act,” adding that the air forces of the three countries had been placed on maximum alert.
They said they had been authorised to “neutralise any aircraft” found to be violating the confederation’s airspace.
Relations between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and their West African neighbours have remained strained in recent years.
All three countries are currently under military rule and are battling prolonged jihadist insurgencies.
In January, the trio formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after establishing the Alliance of Sahel States as a regional bloc.
The three Sahel nations have also increasingly distanced themselves from Western partners, particularly former colonial power France, while strengthening ties with Russia amid shifting geopolitical alignments in the region.