A Nigerian Air Force plane had to land in Burkina Faso. This caused a diplomatic problem. Eleven Nigerian soldiers were kept for a short time. Officials in Burkina Faso said the landing was not allowed. The problem was fixed quickly. However, different stories from officials showed disagreements.
The Nigerian plane was going from Lagos to Portugal. It was a C-130 Hercules aircraft. It changed its route to Bobo Dioulasso airport. Nigerian officials said there was a technical problem. They needed to land at the nearest safe airport. This is a normal rule for planes. But, Burkina Faso officials said the plane did not have permission. They called it a violation of their country.
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) agreed with Burkina Faso. This alliance includes Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. They called the event an "unfriendly act." The leader of Mali, Assimi Goita, said it was "unfriendly" and against international law. The soldiers were then detained. This created a tense situation.
This event happened after Nigeria helped Benin. Nigerian forces attacked rebels in Benin. Also, the AES countries left ECOWAS in January. Nigeria is a strong member of ECOWAS. This created distrust between the countries. A technical problem became a big political issue.
It was not clear when the soldiers would be freed. Burkina Faso said they were released on Tuesday. Nigerian officials said on Wednesday that they were still working on it. This showed communication problems. After they were released, a Nigerian Air Force speaker said, "Plans are ongoing to resume the mission as scheduled."
Now, the AES has warned other countries. They said they will stop any plane that enters their airspace without permission. Experts think military planes must be very careful. They need to check flight plans and communication.
The detention of the Nigerian soldiers shows new divisions in West Africa. Security rules can become political problems. This increases the chance of mistakes. The AES is getting stronger. ECOWAS is losing influence. The skies in the Sahel are now a place for countries to show their power.