Traore’s Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger fires back at Tinubu over Sahel insecurity remark, Summons Nigerian Envoy

The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his claim that instability in the Sahel is worsening Nigeria’s security challenges.

The bloc also summoned Nigeria’s chargé d’affaires in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in a fresh diplomatic dispute that highlights the strained relations between Abuja and the AES countries.

The diplomatic row followed remarks made by Tinubu on July 30 while addressing traditional rulers in Nigeria.

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

The President was speaking against the backdrop of Nigeria’s ongoing battle with jihadist groups, bandits and kidnappers, with militant activities increasingly crossing borders within the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.

However, the AES rejected Tinubu’s assessment, describing it as inaccurate and dismissive of the sacrifices made by the armed forces and civilians of the three Sahelian countries.

The bloc summoned Nigeria’s envoy in Ouagadougou on Thursday, August 6, to formally protest the President’s comments.

Speaking on behalf of the AES, Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, said Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria were all confronting the same security threat.

“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.

The minister argued that Tinubu’s remarks failed to adequately reflect the history of terrorism in the region.

He noted that Niger had been confronting Boko Haram attacks before the escalation of violent extremism in Mali and Burkina Faso.

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

Despite the strong criticism, the Burkina Faso minister said the AES remained willing to cooperate with Nigeria in tackling insecurity across the region.

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

Strained Nigeria-AES Relations

The latest diplomatic dispute comes amid years of strained relations between Nigeria and the three Sahelian countries following military coups in the region.

As chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2023, Tinubu played a prominent role in the regional bloc’s response to the coup in Niger.

ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger and threatened military intervention to restore constitutional rule. The measures, however, failed to return the country to civilian government and were subsequently lifted.

Relations deteriorated further after Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew from ECOWAS and established the Alliance of Sahel States as a separate political and security bloc.

The three countries have subsequently strengthened security cooperation with Russia, while Nigeria has continued to support regional counter-terrorism cooperation through ECOWAS and other multilateral arrangements.

Previous Diplomatic Row

Tensions also escalated in December 2025 when Burkina Faso detained 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel after their C-130 aircraft made an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso while travelling to Portugal for maintenance.

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

The personnel and passengers were later released following diplomatic engagements between the two countries.

The latest exchange is likely to add further pressure to relations between Nigeria and the AES bloc, even as both sides acknowledge the need for greater cooperation against the cross-border security threats affecting the region.

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