Reported by a fisherman, a boat was drifting out to sea with dead bodies on board in Senegale’s latest tragedy, coming just a few days after the sinking of a migrant pirogue off the coast of Mbour.
The new tragedy linked to irregular migration struck Senegal on Sunday 22 September. A pirogue carrying lifeless bodies was discovered 48 kilometres off the coast of Dakar, a security source told APA.
Rescue teams towed the boat to the coast. At present, the exact number of victims and their identities remain unknown.
This tragedy comes shortly after another tragic shipwreck. On 8 September, a pirogue en route to the Canary Islands (Spain) capsized off the coast of Mbour, on Senegal’s Petite Côte. According to the report released by the Senegalese navy on 12 September, 39 lifeless bodies were recovered.
Search operations have been continuing.
In response to this series of tragedies, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye visited Mbour. During his visit, the head of state announced measures to combat the networks of smugglers, the main culprits behind these perilous journeys.
Since the beginning of the year, the French Navy has intercepted more than 2,500 migrants en route to Spain.
According to Frontex data obtained by APA, between January and June 2024, 4,095 Senegalese migrants arrived in Europe via the Atlantic route, compared with 1,713 during the same period in 2023.
AC/Sf/fss/as/APA