Over 60 perish as migrant boat capsizes in Morocco

A makeshift boat attempting to carry migrants from West Africa to Spain capsized off Morocco’s coast, leaving at least 69 people dead, including 25 Malians, Mali’s government confirmed on Thursday.

The vessel was carrying approximately 80 passengers when the tragedy struck last week.

According to a statement from Mali’s Ministry of Malians Abroad, only 11 survivors were rescued, with nine identified as Malian nationals.

In response, the Malian government has dispatched a crisis unit to monitor the situation and provide support to the victims and their families.

This incident underscores the dire challenges faced by many West Africans, particularly Malians, who flee their countries due to political instability, economic hardship, and climate change.

Mali, plagued by jihadist violence and political coups in 2020 and 2021, remains in turmoil, with large parts of its territory ungovernable despite promises of elections by March 2024.

Economic desperation has pushed many to undertake perilous journeys across the Atlantic route, one of the deadliest migration paths in the world.

The route, stretching from Mauritania and Morocco to Spain, saw over 10,000 deaths this year alone, according to the Spanish human rights group Caminando Fronteras.

Morocco’s proximity to Spain, just eight nautical miles at its closest point, makes it a common, though treacherous, passage for migrants seeking a new life in Europe.

Many of these migrants come from sub-Saharan Africa, fleeing conflict and poverty in search of better opportunities.