Morocco migrant boat wreck left 70 missing, says Mali government

The sinking of a vessel carrying migrants in Moroccan waters on December 19 left 70 people missing, including 25 from Mali, that country’s government said on Thursday, December 26.

Around 80 migrants were on board the vessel heading for Spain and 11 survivors were rescued, with “25 young Malians unfortunately identified among the victims,” the government said in a statement.

Nine of those rescued were Malians, it said in the statement, which cited embassies in the region, officials, victims’ families and survivors.

Thousands of migrants have attempted perilous sea crossings from African shores trying to reach Europe, often in flimsy makeshift vessels.

More than 10,400 migrants have died trying to reach Spain since 2024, including a record number heading for the Canary Islands, the Spanish migration NGO Caminando Fronteras said in a report on Thursday. That was an average of about 30 a day, making it the deadliest year in the organisation’s records.

Mali has been suffering a serious security crisis since 2012, facing attacks from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, as well as by separatist movements and criminal gangs.