Senegalese Rights Group Demands Government Inquiry After Deadly Migrant Boat Sinking

A prominent human rights organization in Senegal is urging the government to initiate a parliamentary inquiry following the tragic sinking of a small migrant boat off the nation's coast, which resulted in the deaths of at least 39 individuals. Action for Human Rights and Friendship (ADHA) issued a statement condemning the "lack of lasting results" in efforts to curb migrant fatalities at sea. The association highlighted that despite a €300,000 (approximately $336,000) allocation for the Navy and training for over 300 agents, there has been a failure to achieve significant outcomes amidst rising irregular arrivals to the Canary Islands, ADHA stated.

The ill-fated pirogue-type vessel, a flat-bottomed boat, had departed from Saint-Louis in northern Senegal with aspirations of reaching the Spanish coast. It capsized near the Lompoul dunes, within the Kebemer department, approximately 180 km (112 miles) north of the capital, Dakar, on Sunday, according to state media reports. ADHA emphasized that merely lamenting shipwrecks, announcing measures, and counting interceptions is no longer sufficient.

Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye extended his condolences and vowed to intensify efforts against the traffickers responsible for orchestrating these perilous journeys. Initial reports indicated a death toll of 21, but the discovery of more bodies during ongoing search and rescue operations led to the number of fatalities being revised upwards, first to 34 and subsequently to 39. Only one survivor was rescued alive, and several individuals are still believed to be missing.

The Ministry of the Interior and Public Security of Senegal confirmed that the boat was carrying individuals attempting to migrate irregularly but did not provide the exact number of people on board at the time of the incident. Thousands of people have perished in recent years while attempting the dangerous voyage to Spain's Canary Islands from West Africa. Migrant rights group Walking Borders reported that 635 individuals died in the first five months of this year alone.

Meanwhile, Spanish authorities on the Canary Island of El Hierro declared a state of emergency on Saturday due to a significant increase in migrant boat arrivals. El Hierro authorities reported that over 3,300 people had arrived on approximately 30 boats since the beginning of November.