Shipping off Morocco: 69 dead, including 25 Malians

Biic

A makeshift boat carrying around 80 people sank off the Moroccan coast, causing the death of at least 69 migrants, including 25 from Mali, according to the Malian authorities. Only 11 survivors were able to be rescued, including nine Malians, the Malian Ministry of Malians from the outside in a statement said.

The incident, which occurred last week but confirmed on Thursday, once again underlines the dangers of migration by the Atlantic road, one of the deadliest in the world. A crisis unit has been set up to manage the consequences of this tragedy.

Mali, faced with serious political and security instability, with jihadist violence and separatist rebellions, also knows a deterioration of its economic conditions. These factors, combined with unemployment and the effects of climate change, push many citizens to try their luck abroad, at the risk of their lives.

According to the Spanish organization Caminando Fronteras, more than 10,000 people died this year trying to reach Spain, an alarming average of 30 deaths per day. Morocco, located just 14 kilometers from the Spanish coast, is a privileged but extremely risky road for these migrants in search of a better future in Europe.