The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad of
the Republic of The Gambia says it received with shock the tragic death of
Gambians in the international territorial waters between Mauritania and
Morocco.
The
Ministry has been in contact with officials of the Gambian Embassy in
Nouakchott who are closely working with Regional Mauritanian authorities as
well as the International Organisation for Migration and UNHCR to manage the
crisis situation on the ground.
The
official correspondence received from the Gambian Embassy in Nouakchott
revealed through the survivors that there were 195 people on board and 63
people have now been confirmed dead. There were 13 women and 11 of them died.
Investigators are employing different identification techniques such as photos
taking of corpses before the burial and using survivors to identify the dead
through those photos. This method will help establish the nationalities
especially the number of Gambians involved.
The memo also highlighted that 85 people have been rescued and 10 of
them are receiving medical care. From the 85 rescued, 78 are Gambians and 7
Senegalese nationals. However, 47 people are still missing.
The
Gambian Ambassador to Mauritania, His Excellency Mawdo C. Juwara and the
Honourary Consul held series of meetings with the Governor of Dhahlet
Nouadhibou Region with the Regional Security Chiefs on the issue and the need
to continue with the search and rescue operations. Rescue or recovery efforts
will continue for those missing as well as to find ways and means to offer
assistance in terms of medical treatment to those who need medical attention
and to provide accommodation and food for the survivors.
The
general public is hereby assured that once the identification is completed, the
Gambian Embassy, the Honourary Consulate, Mauritanian Regional Administrative
authorities in Nouadhibou, the IOM as well as the UNHCR will continue further
medical checkups of the survivors to ascertain their fitness to be repatriated
to The Gambia and Senegal.
In
accordance with the directive of His Excellency President Adama Barrow, the
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs is part of the delegation
dispatched by the Government of The Gambia to take part in the investigation
and recovery efforts.
The
Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians
Abroad, Dr. Mamadou Tangara, has reported that he was informed by his
counterpart in Mauritania, H.E. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, that the Mauritanian
security services have intercepted the second boat in the Mauritainian waters
carrying 189 irregular migrants from The Gambia. All the migrants are safe and
efforts are being made in collaboration with the Gambian Embassy in Mauritania
to send them back to The Gambia as soon as possible.
We
wish to join the presidency in extending our condolence and restating the
Government’s commitment to investigate the incident and ensure safe return of
the survivors.
Meanwhile,
it’s reported that shipwreck survivors and those that were intercepted in
Mauritanian waters were on their way coming to The Gambia. The government is
said to have arranged five buses for their repatriation and were expected to
arrive in the country last night.