Nigeria and the Sahel bloc: A widening security gap
Theo Al Jazeera English
A deepening diplomatic rift between Nigeria and the three Sahel states of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger is complicating efforts to counter shared cross-border security threats, as armed groups increasingly exploit cooperation gaps. The divide has widened over incidents such as the December 2025 detention of a Nigerian aircraft, while analysts warn that fragmented security structures are giving militants more freedom to operate.
Abuja, Nigeria – In December 2025, Burkina Faso briefly detained 11 Nigerian airmen after their C-130 transport plane made an emergency landing at Bobo-Dioulasso en route to Portugal for routine maintenance. Burkina Faso alleged the aircraft entered its airspace without permission, while Nigeria said the landing was due to a technical issue and followed safety procedures. The plane and its crew were released following diplomatic talks on December 17 and departed two days later, continuing their journey via Ghana.
The incident reflects the widening political divide between Nigeria and the three Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. These three formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023 under the Liptako-Gourma Charter, creating a framework for mutual defense and assistance. They subsequently withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), effective January 29, 2025.
Bolaji Akinyemi, a professor and former Nigerian foreign minister, said the region's current security challenges partly stem from the fallout of Muammar Gaddafi's overthrow in Libya in 2011. "The flow of insurgents from the AES into Nigeria has been happening since Gaddafi was toppled. They couldn't cross the Mediterranean, so they could only move southward, making Nigeria a target," he said.
Cross-border security
The dispute comes amid increasingly overlapping security threats facing Nigeria and its Sahel neighbors. Boko Haram and ISWAP remain active in Nigeria, while ISWAP also operates in southeastern Niger, particularly the Diffa region.
Niger pulled out of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in March 2025, the regional force established to combat armed groups around the Lake Chad basin, citing the need to boost security for oil facilities. Abiola Sadiq, a Nigerian resilience consultant, warned that Niger's withdrawal created a significant gap in counterterrorism cooperation and cross-border coordination. He also expressed concern that deteriorating relations between Nigeria and the AES could give ISWAP more opportunities to exploit border areas and move personnel and material through zones with weak security coordination.
The security situation in the west is equally unstable. On April 25, 2026, coordinated attacks targeted multiple locations in Mali. Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an attack on his residence in Kati, near Bamako. The al-Qaeda-linked group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) jointly claimed responsibility.
Trade affected
The political rift also raises questions about trade and movement. Nigeria is West Africa's largest economy, a key market for goods through the Sahel corridor, and has long-standing cross-border trade and labor ties with the three AES countries. As their ECOWAS withdrawal took effect, the bloc said it would continue to allow citizens of the three countries visa-free travel, residence, and establishment, along with existing trade conditions, until new agreements are reached. However, businesspeople, transporters, and workers remain uncertain about future rules for movement and goods circulation.
Widening gap
The most recent tension stems from a July 30 statement by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu regarding the security situation in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, in which he said instability in these three countries had exacerbated Nigeria's security challenges. The three AES governments rejected that assessment. Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore summoned Nigeria's representative in Ouagadougou, with Mali and Niger's representatives present, criticizing the "overly simplistic" evaluation and stressing that the four countries face the same threat.
A Malian international relations analyst, speaking anonymously, said each new flashpoint—from the 2023 sanction threats to the December 2025 plane detention and the recent war of words—has hardened positions on all sides. He warned that if Abuja and the Sahel capitals fail to find a dialogue channel that transcends political disagreements, armed groups operating in the Liptako-Gourma region and northern Nigeria could exploit the gap. Liptako-Gourma is the border area between Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Armed groups do not recognize the political borders separating Nigeria from its Sahel neighbors. JNIM and ISWAP operate across national boundaries, while weak coordination gives them opportunities to exploit gaps between security zones. The result is that West Africa is fragmenting into two security structures that do not communicate, even though the threat both face is increasingly transnational.
