Sunday, September 8, 2024 will remain etched in Senegal’s memory as a day of national mourning. On that day, the national navy reported the sinking of a pirogue off the coast of Mbour, resulting in the death of 40 people.
A new tragedy linked to illegal emigration, plunging the country and the international community into deep sorrow. The President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, went to the scene of the tragedy to learn about the situation and announced measures to eradicate this phenomenon. “I would like to say that the relentless hunt for these sellers of illusion, these sellers of death will intensify from now on. A few days ago, an operation called “Djokko” ended, jointly conducted for more than a month by the gendarmerie, the police and even the army, and which made it possible to foil a migration project involving 690 young people,” he declared, while calling on the population to actively participate in this fight by denouncing “the illegal emigration networks.”
As the country struggles to recover from this tragedy, another similar tragedy has been reported. On Monday, September 23, a statement from the Ministry of the Armed Forces reported the discovery of a drifting canoe, with 30 bodies in an advanced state of decomposition on board. The statement states that “the recovery, identification and transfer operations are made very delicate by the state of the bodies.”
These repeated tragedies expose a devastating reality. Despite the state’s efforts to stem illegal emigration, hundreds of young people continue to risk their lives in search of a better future. Behind each body recovered from the sea are broken dreams, devastated families and a youth who, lacking viable prospects, choose exile at the risk of their lives.
Seneweb
