Daily Digest Online

Nigerian soldiers who were on board a military aircraft that made a forced landing in Burkina Faso last week remain in the West African country, according to Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar. The incident occurred on Monday, December 8, when the Confederation of Sahel States (AES)—a bloc comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic—accused a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft of violating its airspace. The AES, which has broken away from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), authorized its members to "neutralize" any aircraft violating its territory. Conflicting Narratives and Regional Tensions The aircraft was carrying 11 Nigerian soldiers at the time. The Nigerian Air Force stated the plane was on a "ferry mission to Portugal" and suggested the landing was forced due to a technical issue. However, authorities from the AES, particularly Mali's junta leader Assimi Goita, described t...

The alleged mastermind behind last week's failed coup in Benin Republic is reportedly hiding in the capital of neighboring Togo, according to Beninese officials, setting the stage for a potential diplomatic standoff. Pascal Tigri, identified as the ringleader of the attempted overthrow, was located in the Lome 2 district of Togo's capital—an area that also houses the residence of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe. The Hunt for the Fugitive Leader The coup attempt was thwarted by Beninese soldiers with support from Nigerian and Ivorian forces. While Nigeria conducted airstrikes against fleeing plotters, Tigri evaded capture. His trail led to Togo after intelligence revealed he had been contacted using a Togolese phone number on the day of the coup. Benin's national intelligence service has formally requested Togo's assistance in apprehending and extraditing Tigri and his accomplices. A government source stated that any failure by Togo to comply ...

ABUJA, Nigeria — The president of West Africa's primary political and economic bloc has declared the region is in a "state of emergency," citing a dangerous spiral of military coups, attempted takeovers, and escalating security crises that threaten the future of democracy. Omar Touray, President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, issued the stark warning on Tuesday during an address to the bloc's mediation and security council. His statement came just two days after a coup attempt was thwarted in Benin, the latest in a series of military power grabs that have destabilized the region. Last month, a successful coup in Guinea-Bissau ousted former President Umaro Embalo. "Events of the last few weeks have shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community," Touray told the council. "Faced with this situation, E...

ABUJA, Nigeria / BOBO-DIOULASSO, Burkina Faso — Burkina Faso has released the 11 Nigerian military personnel who were detained after their Air Force C-130 transport plane made an unauthorized landing in the West African nation on Monday, concluding a brief but intense standoff that laid bare deep regional fractures. The personnel were cleared to return to Nigeria on Tuesday after Burkinabè authorities completed questioning. Their release came just over 24 hours after the dramatic incident, which saw the Nigerian aircraft forced to land at the airport in Bobo-Dioulasso, a city in southwestern Burkina Faso. Conflicting Accounts of a "Technical" Landing vs. a "Violation" The official explanations for the landing starkly diverged, reflecting the heightened political tensions between Nigeria and a breakaway bloc of military-ruled Sahel nations. *   Nigerian Account: The Nigerian Air Force maintained the aircraft was on a "ferry mission"...

The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have issued forceful condemnations of Sunday's attempted military takeover in the Republic of Benin, denouncing it as an assault on democratic order and demanding the immediate restoration of constitutional rule. The condemnation follows reports that a group of military officers, identifying as the "Military Committee for Refoundation" and reportedly led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, seized the national television station in Cotonou. In a broadcast, they claimed to have dissolved state institutions and removed President Patrice Talon from power. According to Beninese media, the group also attacked the presidential residence in the city's Le Guézo neighborhood. African Union's "Zero Tolerance" Stance In a statement released on Sunday, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Yousouf, "strongly and unequi...