AES Rebukes Tinubu, Summons Nigerian Envoy Over Sahel Insecurity Comments

ABUJA — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, operating under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu over his recent comments linking worsening insecurity in the Sahel to Nigeria’s security challenges.

The three countries have also summoned Nigeria’s chargé d’affaires in Ouagadougou, escalating an already strained diplomatic relationship between Abuja and the AES bloc.

The Nigerian envoy was summoned on Thursday, August 6, following comments made by President Tinubu on July 30 during a meeting with traditional rulers.

Tinubu had told the monarchs: “Some of them (the terrorists) are not Nigerians. You see, the problem of insecurity in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger is worsening our difficulties.”

The President’s comments came against the backdrop of Nigeria’s continuing struggle with jihadist insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, as armed groups increasingly operate across borders in the wider Sahel and Lake Chad regions.

But officials of the AES strongly rejected the President’s assessment, arguing that the three countries were themselves victims of the same security crisis.

Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, who spoke for the bloc, said the security situation should not be portrayed as though neighbouring countries were responsible for Nigeria’s problems.

“Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria face the same enemy. We would have preferred a more accurate presentation of the security situation, rather than placing the blame for a complex situation on neighbouring countries, at the risk of fuelling misunderstandings and frustrations between peoples bound by history, geography, and fraternity,” Traoré said.

He further argued that the history of the region’s security crisis had been overlooked.

According to him, Niger had been confronting Boko Haram before the escalation of extremist violence in Mali and Burkina Faso.

“We are not responsible for what is happening to us. The real enemies are elsewhere,” he added.

Traoré, however, struck a conciliatory note, stressing that the AES was not closing the door on cooperation with Nigeria.

“We favour continued engagement with Nigeria in a ‘joint and shared fight’ against insecurity,” he said.

Tinubu-Era Tensions With AES

The latest diplomatic disagreement comes amid a broader deterioration in relations between Nigeria and the three Sahelian countries.

The tensions intensified after Tinubu became chairman of ECOWAS in 2023, following the military takeover in Niger.

Under ECOWAS pressure, sanctions were imposed on Niger and military intervention was threatened to restore constitutional government.

The intervention never took place, while the sanctions were eventually withdrawn.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger subsequently left ECOWAS and created the Alliance of Sahel States, strengthening their political and security cooperation outside the regional bloc.

The three countries have also moved closer to Russia for security assistance and cooperation.

Nigeria, meanwhile, remains one of ECOWAS’s most influential members and continues to support greater regional coordination in the fight against terrorism.

11 Nigerian Air Force Personnel Detained in 2025

Relations between Nigeria and Burkina Faso were also tested in December 2025 after 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel were detained following the emergency landing of a Nigerian C-130 aircraft in Bobo-Dioulasso.

The aircraft had been heading to Portugal for maintenance when it made the emergency landing.

The AES described the aircraft’s entry into its airspace without prior authorisation as an unfriendly act.

Following diplomatic negotiations, however, the crew and passengers were released.

The latest row reflects the continuing disagreements between Abuja and the AES countries over the origins of insecurity in the region, even as both sides acknowledge the need for cooperation against terrorist groups and other armed organisations operating across national borders.

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