Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has formally apologized to Burkina Faso for the unauthorised entry of a Nigerian military jet into Burkinabè airspace, an incident that led to the detention of 11 Nigerian servicemen.
Tuggar's spokesperson told the BBC that the detained personnel had been released and were due to return to Nigeria, without specifying a timeline for their return.
The incident occurred when the Nigerian Air Force aircraft developed a technical problem while flying to Portugal and had to divert to Burkina Faso.
This unauthorised landing ignited diplomatic tensions with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which includes Burkina Faso alongside Mali and Niger. In response to the situation, AES condemned the act as 'unfriendly' and heightened air force security across its member states, granting authorization to 'neutralise any aircraft' infringing on their airspace.
All three AES nations, currently under military rule, have distanced themselves from the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, aligning instead with Russia, in contrast to other Ecowas members.
Minister Tuggar visited Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, to address the situation directly with military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré. On national television, Tuggar admitted to 'irregularities regarding the overflight authorisations' and expressed regret over the incident.
While the military personnel were reported to be in 'high spirits,' it remains unclear when they and the aircraft will return to Nigeria. According to Nigeria's foreign ministry, both governments have committed to maintaining regular dialogues and pursuing measures to enhance bilateral cooperation and regional integration.
Tuggar's spokesperson told the BBC that the detained personnel had been released and were due to return to Nigeria, without specifying a timeline for their return.
The incident occurred when the Nigerian Air Force aircraft developed a technical problem while flying to Portugal and had to divert to Burkina Faso.
This unauthorised landing ignited diplomatic tensions with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which includes Burkina Faso alongside Mali and Niger. In response to the situation, AES condemned the act as 'unfriendly' and heightened air force security across its member states, granting authorization to 'neutralise any aircraft' infringing on their airspace.
All three AES nations, currently under military rule, have distanced themselves from the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, aligning instead with Russia, in contrast to other Ecowas members.
Minister Tuggar visited Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, to address the situation directly with military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré. On national television, Tuggar admitted to 'irregularities regarding the overflight authorisations' and expressed regret over the incident.
While the military personnel were reported to be in 'high spirits,' it remains unclear when they and the aircraft will return to Nigeria. According to Nigeria's foreign ministry, both governments have committed to maintaining regular dialogues and pursuing measures to enhance bilateral cooperation and regional integration.
