State Of Global Peace And Security Looks Zig-zag
PHOTO: (above) US Japan B-52 exercise and (below) Nigerian Airforce plane seized in Burkina Faso on unathorized flight
West Africa in a state of emergency after several coups, bloc leaders say
SOURCE: AFL
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Coups and attempted coups in West Africa, along with escalating security challenges, have left the region in a state of emergency, a leader of the regional bloc said Tuesday.
Omar Touray, president of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, spoke to the bloc’s mediation and security council two days after a failed coup attempt in Benin, the latest in a string of military takeovers and attempted takeovers. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau removed former President Umaro Embalo.
Also on Tuesday, Nigeria’s Senate approved a request from President Bola Tinubu to deploy troops in Benin at its government’s request. Nigeria had carried out airstrikes on armored vehicles during the attempted takeover there, also at the government’s request.
“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 said. “Faced with this situation, Excellencies, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency.”
Burkina Faso Detains 11 Nigerian Military Officers, Seizes Air Force C-130 After ‘Unauthorised’ Airspace Entry
Source: SAHARA REPORTERS
December 9, 2025
According to the AES, the Nigerian Air Force aircraft was intercepted after it was operating in Burkinabe airspace and forced to land following what authorities described as an in-flight emergency situation.
Burkina Faso’s ruling junta has detained eleven Nigerian military officers and seized a Nigerian Air Force C-130 transport aircraft after it made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso on Monday, allegedly without clearance to enter the country’s airspace.
The incident, which has raised fresh tensions between Abuja and the military regimes in the Sahel, was disclosed in a late-night statement issued by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) — the confederation formed by Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali after cutting ties with ECOWAS.
According to the AES, the Nigerian Air Force aircraft was intercepted after it was operating in Burkinabe airspace and forced to land following what authorities described as an in-flight emergency situation.
United States and Japan conduct B-52 training after Chinese-Russian flights
Story by Kim Ja-ah
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SOURCE: United States and Japan conduct B-52 training after Chinese-Russian flights
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The U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber (below) and two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighters conduct a joint training exercise over the Sea of Japan. /AFP-Yonhap
The United States and Japan conducted a joint training exercise involving B-52 strategic bombers, interpreted as a response to recent joint flights by Chinese and Russian bombers.
According to a Reuters report on the 11th, Japan’s Integrated Staff Office (Japan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff) announced that two U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bombers, three Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35 fighters, and three F-15 fighters conducted joint training over the East Sea airspace the previous day (the 10th).
Japan’s Ministry of Defense stated, “On the 9th, two Chinese H-6 bombers and two Russian TU-95 bombers conducted long-range flights from the East China Sea to the Pacific near Shikoku, Japan,” adding, “Air Self-Defense Force fighters scrambled in response.”
The ministry noted, “While no violations of Japanese airspace occurred, the joint flights by China and Russia were clearly intended as a demonstration toward Japan and constitute a serious security concern.”
In contrast, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, stated that the joint flights were “a project within the annual cooperation plan, demonstrating the resolve and capability of both sides to jointly respond to regional security challenges and maintain peace and stability in the region.”