By Tabora Bojang
At least 234 West African migrants including Gambians are feared dead after the boat they were travelling on developed an engine failure, leaving it floating for over two weeks, before been intercepted in Mauritania.
According to Gambian migrant advocate Ebrima Drammeh, the boat is believed to have departed Bafuloto with about 270 migrants on the 28th June but coast guards in Mauritania found only 38 on the boat including women and minors, last Friday.
The suvivors include 8 Gambians and 28 Senegalese.
According to Drammeh, the boat was intercepted in a critical condition; with no GPS or working engine and only one gallon of fuel.
He said two of the survivors later passed away, among them, a Gambian named Sulayman Jallow from Brikamaba in CRR.
“The boat spent about 19 days floating in the sea after its engine failed and the passengers subsequently ran out of food and water, with many starving,” he said.
According to him, this incident is a “national crisis” that deserves urgency and came only days after another boat that departed from Banjul with 180 migrants went missing for 19 days leaving their families and loved ones with fear, uncertainty, and unimaginable pain.
Drammeh pointed out that addressing these tragedies goes beyond awareness campaigns in hotel rooms but broader grassroots engagement where young people and parents will be directly engaged about the realities of the backway journey.
“People need to hear the truth from survivors, returnees, families who have lost loved ones, migration experts, and community leaders. Radio and television stations should dedicate regular programmes to migration awareness so that every Gambian understands the risks before making such a life-changing decision. The loss of hundreds of Gambian lives in just seven months should concern every one of us. Behind every number is a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, a friend, and a family whose lives have been changed forever,” Drammeh lamented.
The founder of the Ebrima Migrants Situation Foundation (EMSF), Drammeh said he is committed to raising awareness, supporting affected families, and working with all partners to save lives. “This is not about politics. It is about protecting our people and giving our young generation hope at home,” he said.
