The growing security divide between Nigeria and the Sahel alliance has escalated following an emergency landing of a Nigerian military plane in western Burkina Faso, and According to Business Insider Africa, the incident has reignited tensions between Abuja and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The AES condemned the unauthorised landing as an ‘unfriendly’ act that violated international aviation regulations; the aircraft, which carried nine military personnel, triggered a warning from the alliance that it is prepared to ‘neutralise’ any unauthorised aircraft in its airspace.

Sahel alliance asserts control over airspace

In a statement read by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Territorial Administration on public television, the AES emphasized that the Nigerian plane lacked authorization to enter Burkinabe airspace. The alliance has backed its security measures and reiterated its readiness to enforce its airspace, according to africanews.com; the incident follows Nigeria’s recent deployment of military aircraft to Benin to support the government against an attempted coup. Nigeria claims it acted at the request of Benin’s government and in accordance with ECOWAS mechanisms.

ECOWAS and Sahel split deepens

Relations between ECOWAS and the Sahel alliance have been strained since the latter withdrew from the regional bloc on 29 January 2025. According to Business Insider Africa, the three Sahel countries,Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—accused ECOWAS of straying from its founding principles and acting under the influence of foreign powers. Their departure reduced ECOWAS from 15 to 12 members and weakened cross-border security cooperation efforts. While ECOWAS has maintained communication channels and temporary trade arrangements with the three countries, a durable framework for political and security collaboration has yet to be established.

Russia proposes to mediate

Amid the growing divide, Russia has offered to mediate between ECOWAS and the Sahel alliance, According to Business Insider Africa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow is ready to support efforts to ‘build bridges’ between the two groups. If concluded, the proposed security agreement would give Russia a formal channel for engagement with ECOWAS, while However, no corresponding public announcement has been issued by ECOWAS, leaving the scope and status of the potential deal unclear. Russia is already a close military partner of the Sahel governments, which adds strategic weight to its mediation offer.