69 MIGRANTS DIE AS BOAT CAPSIZES WHILE HEADING TO SPAIN
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Mali’s Minister for Malians Living Abroad, Mossa Ag Attaher, has reported that nearly 70 migrants lost their lives when a boat heading to Spain sank earlier this month.
In a press release on Thursday, the minister stated that the boat, which was carrying 80 migrants, capsized on December 19, with only 11 survivors.
According to the Ministry, “25 young Malians have unfortunately been formally identified among the victims,” while nine Malian survivors have been identified.
The Atlantic route from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands continues to be one of the most perilous migrant routes in the world.
For many migrants from Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, and surrounding nations, the Canary Islands serve as a gateway to mainland Europe, offering the promise of better economic prospects or an escape from violence and instability.
According to ABC News, several of the Malian victims were from the Kayes region in western Mali, a fact confirmed by Doulaye Keita, an adviser to the ministry, on Friday.
“Among the 25 Malians dead, there are 8 Malians from my commune,” said Mamadou Siby, the mayor of Marena commune in Kayes, in a statement to the Associated Press.
“These dead young men left my commune seven months ago to work in the construction industry in Mauritania. Unfortunately, they were in contact with their friends in Europe and America, who encouraged them to come to these countries, and in most cases, they took the perilous journey without even informing their families back home,” Siby explained.
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