U.S. Embassy offers condolences to families of migrant boat disaster

The United States Embassy in Banjul learned with great sorrow and grief that a boat carrying migrants sank off the Mauritanian coast, resulting in the deaths of scores of people, the majority citizens of The Gambia. We offer our deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

The United States government remains deeply concerned by the continued pressure put on youth to undertake the dangerous and costly “Backway” route. Every year, thousands of people, many Gambians, lose their lives to this perilous journey. We encourage parents and relatives to actively prevail on their youth against venturing into these deadly routes. Not only are Gambians who choose the backway putting their lives on the line, The Gambia suffers from the loss of its greatest national resource, their talented, passionate youth population.

The Gambia has moved a long way down the road leading from dictatorship to democracy. Continued democratic success and economic vitalization relies on the contributions and talents of all its youth. We look forward to continuing to support Gambians who make the brave decision to improve their lives and their country by choosing to stay in The Gambia, undertaking the difficult and critical work for development and democratic change. The United States will continue to support the people and government of The Gambia to improve socio-economic conditions and promote domestic entrepreneurial business opportunities for the talented young people of The Gambia.