# Nigeria and the Sahel: A growing security divide

https://mins.news/en/item/29079

- Al Jazeera, 2026-08-22 04:30 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/22/nigeria-and-the-sahel-a-growing-security-divide?traffic_source=rss

> A widening diplomatic rift between Nigeria and Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is complicating efforts to confront shared cross-border security threats. Burkina Faso detained 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel in December 2025 after their aircraft made an emergency landing, but released them following talks. Niger’s withdrawal from a regional task force has further weakened counterterrorism coordination, potentially giving ISWAP more room to operate along poorly coordinated borders.