Burkina Faso frees 11 Nigerian soldiers after Nigeria apologises for the aircraft’s unauthorised entry into Burkinabe airspace following a technical landing.
BOBO-DIOULASSO: Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian soldiers detained after their aircraft made an emergency landing on its territory.
The crew of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 made a precautionary landing in the Burkinabe city of Bobo-Dioulasso on December 8 due to a technical problem.
Burkina Faso’s military government condemned the entry into its airspace as an unfriendly act and held the crew.
Nigerian foreign ministry spokesman Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa confirmed the release of the aircraft and crew members.
The release followed a meeting between Burkina Faso’s junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore (pic) and Nigeria’s foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar.
A statement from Traore’s office said Nigeria regrets the irregularities in the authorisation procedure to enter Burkina Faso’s airspace.
It stated that Tuggar offered Abuja’s apologies for this unfortunate incident.
The landing prompted a harsh statement from the Alliance of Sahel States comprising Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
The alliance said their air forces were put on maximum alert and authorised to neutralise any aircraft violating the confederation’s airspace.
The three Sahel countries maintain uneasy relations with their West African neighbours including Nigeria.
They left the regional bloc ECOWAS in January after forming their own alliance.
