Malian authorities have confirmed that at least 69 people, including 25 Malians, have died after a boat sailing from West Africa to Spain capsized near Morocco.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said about 80 people were on board the “makeshift boat”, but only 11 survived. At least nine of the survivors are from Mali.
The boat sank last week, but the ministry confirmed the incident on Thursday.
A crisis unit has been dispatched to monitor the situation, he said.
Mali has been plagued by jihadist and separatist violence for years – leading to military coups in 2020 and 2021.
The junta had promised to hold elections to return to civilian rule by March 2024, but that has yet to happen.
Instability in the country due to a large-scale jihadist insurgency has made much of the north and east impenetrable.
Unemployment and the effects of climate change on farming have also forced many to seek greener pastures in Europe.
But the crossing is dangerous.
According to a Spanish rights charity Caminando Frontiers, 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 migrant routes.
The organization found that there were an average of 30 deaths per day.
The migration route, which stretches from the Atlantic coast of Mauritania and Morocco to Spain, is considered one of the most dangerous routes in the world.
Many of those who take this perilous route come from sub-Saharan Africa, escaping poverty and conflict in their home countries.
Morocco is only eight nautical miles (14 km) from the Spanish mainland at its closest point.