On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, a tragic incident off the northern coast of Senegal, Africa, resulted in the loss of 24 lives. The victims were aboard a ship headed for Europe that met with disaster in the hazardous waters of the Saint Louis estuary. This event underscores the extreme risks migrants face in their quest to elude poverty and joblessness.
The boat met with trouble in a notorious sector of the northern coast known for its powerful currents and dense mud, revealed Governor Alioune Badara Samb of the Saint Louis region. Following the tragedy, a search and rescue operation recovered 24 bodies and rescued 21 people from the Atlantic’s grasp.
The vessel’s passenger count remains uncertain, although witness testimonies suggest it was carrying over 300 individuals. Survivors Mamady Dianfo from Casamance in the south, and Alpha Balde, estimated that the boat had between 200 and 300 migrants aboard when it left Senegal approximately a week prior. The vessel had reached as far as Morocco before a disoriented return to Senegal resulted in the catastrophe.
Frontex, the European Union border agency, identifies Senegal and Morocco as significant sources of migrants arriving on the Canary Islands – a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic and a proximate gateway to Europe. The journey is inherently risky, as data from the Spanish Non-Governmental Organization Caminando Fronteras reveals, with over 6,600 migrants reported dead or missing in their attempts to reach Spain last year. The Atlantic route was found to be the deadliest.
Senegal’s President, Macky Sall, expressed deep sadness over the incident and assured his citizens that authorities were mobilized to offer necessary aid and support.
Political tension has surged in Senegal following the president’s decision to delay elections initially scheduled for February, sparking deadly protests. Although elections are now tentatively planned for June, it’s unclear if or when the president, whose term expires in April, will step down.
A blend of factors such as high youth unemployment, political unrest, and the impacts of climate change, push migrants to risk perilous journeys on crowded boats.
