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At least 69 people, including 25 Malians, have died after a ship bound for Spain from West Africa capsized off Morocco, Malian authorities have confirmed.
The “makeshift boat” was carrying about 80 people, but only 11 survived, according to a statement from the Ministry of Malians Abroad. At least nine of the survivors are from Mali.
The ship capsized last week, but the ministry confirmed the incident on Thursday.
A crisis unit was sent to monitor the situation, he said.
Mali has suffered years of jihadist and separatist violence, resulting in military coups in 2020 and 2021.
The junta promised to hold elections to return to civilian rule in March 2024, but this has not yet happened.
Instability in the country, due to widespread jihadist insurgency, has made much of the north and east ungovernable.
Unemployment and the effects of climate change on agriculture have also forced many to seek greener pastures in Europe.
But the crossing is dangerous.
According to a Spanish human rights charity, Walking Borders, More than 10,000 people have died this year trying to reach Spain by boat from Africa, making it one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world.
The organization found that there were an average of 30 deaths per day.
The migratory route, which runs from the Atlantic coasts of Mauritania and Morocco to Spain, is considered one of the most dangerous in the world.
Many of those who take this dangerous route come from sub-Saharan Africa, escaping poverty and conflict in their home countries.
Morocco is only eight nautical miles (14 kilometers) from the Spanish peninsula at its closest point.