At least 69 people, including 25 Malians, have died after a boat en route from West Africa to Spain capsized off Morocco, Malian authorities confirmed.
The “makeshift boat” was carrying about 80 people, but only 11 people survived, a statement from the Ministry for 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 team had been sent to monitor the situation, it said.
Mali has suffered from years of jihadist and separatist violence – leading to military coups in 2020 and 2021.
The junta promised to hold elections by March 2024 to return to civilian rule, but this has not yet happened.
Instability in the country due to widespread jihadist insurgency has left large parts of the north and east ungovernable.
Unemployment and the impact of climate change on agriculture have also forced many to look for greener pastures in Europe.
But the crossing is dangerous.
According to a Spanish human rights charity Moving borders, 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 migration routes.
The organization noted that there were an average of 30 deaths per day.
The migration route, which stretches from the Atlantic coasts of Mauritania and Morocco to Spain, is considered one of the most dangerous in the world.
Many of those taking this dangerous path come from sub-Saharan Africa, fleeing poverty and conflict in their home countries.
At its closest point, Morocco is just eight nautical miles (14 km) from mainland Spain.
