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At least 69 people, including 25 Malians, have died after a boat heading to Spain from West Africa capsized off Morocco, Malian authorities have confirmed.
The “makeshift boat” was carrying about 80 people, but only 11 people survived, the Ministry of Malians Abroad said. At least nine of the survivors are from Mali.
The boat capsized last week, but the ministry confirmed the incident on Thursday.
A crisis management team has been deployed to assess the situation, it said.
Mali has been plagued by jihadist and separatist violence for years – leading to military coups in 2020 and 2021.
Officials have promised to hold elections to return to civilian rule by March 2024, but this has yet to happen.
The country’s instability, due to the spread of jihadist terrorism, has made the north and east ungovernable.
Unemployment and the effects of climate change on agriculture have also led many people to seek pastures in Europe.
But the crossing is dangerous.
According to the Spanish libertarian organization, Walking the Border, more than 10,000 people have died trying to reach Spain by boat from Africa this year, making it one of the world’s most dangerous routes.
The agency found that about 30 people die a day.
The migration route, which runs from the Atlantic coast of Mauritania and Morocco to Spain, is known as one of the most dangerous in the world.
Most of the people who walk this dangerous route come from sub-Saharan Africa, fleeing poverty and conflict in their countries.
Morocco is only eight kilometers (14km) from the nearest Spanish mainland.
