Thieppe (Senegal) (AFP) – At least 39 migrants died in the sinking of the canoe transporting them, off the coast of north-west Senegal, according to a new report announced Monday by the authorities.
Published on: 09/11/2026 - 20:32
This is one of the deadliest migration tragedies in recent years in Senegal. The canoe capsized Friday afternoon.
The victims, especially young people, died of drowning. They come from this region and the villages of Thieppe and Potou, according to information collected by AFP on site.
Having visited the scene on Monday, the Senegalese Minister of the Interior, Mouhamadou Makhtar Cissé, stood in front of the canoe, AFP journalists noted.
“False aspirations”
During a press briefing on site, the governor of the Louga region, Ndeye Nguenar Mbodj, announced that four new bodies had been found Monday morning, bringing the death toll from 35 to 39.
“23 bodies have been identified and returned to their families,” she added.
The minister transmitted a message of condolences to the families of the victims from the president, the Prime Minister and the government of Senegal.
“We can understand the aspirations of young people to leave, the difficulties of everyday life, the desire to achieve, to help their family. Leaving is an option, but dying at sea should not be an option,” he insisted.
He accused the smugglers of being “modern-day slave traders”. “We must hunt them down relentlessly,” he said.
He considered that "false aspirations" were being sold to young people who attempt illegal migration to Europe and pleaded for continuing "awareness-raising work" with other countries in the sub-region.
“We should also work on circular migration to help the regular departure of young Senegalese, young Africans who aspire to go to work to achieve themselves. It is a legitimate aspiration,” he stressed.
The principle of "circular migration" is notably to allow migrants to work in Spain on a contract for a limited period to meet the needs of a specific sector before returning home.
“A minimal assessment”
Thousands of people from West Africa, mostly young people, have been trying for years to reach Europe clandestinely by taking the Atlantic route, mainly towards the Spanish archipelago of the Canaries, aboard overloaded and often dilapidated boats.
They are fleeing the conflicts ravaging their countries or the authoritarianism of juntas, or are looking for a better future in the face of poverty and lack of opportunities at home.
Thousands of migrants have died or disappeared trying to reach Europe in recent years.
In a press release published Monday evening, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) underlines that “the West African Atlantic route continues to cost lives”.
As of October 26, the IOM had recorded at least 454 deaths and disappearances on this route since the start of 2026. “These figures reflect only a minimal toll: many boats disappear far from the coast, with no survivors, no bodies found and without us knowing what happened,” recalls the IOM.
“Behind each of the lives lost, there were hopes, projects, a future to build. Our thoughts go to the families and communities who are mourning their loved ones, as well as to all those who are still waiting for news,” said Aissata Kane, IOM head of mission in Senegal, about Friday’s tragedy.
The IOM calls on countries of origin, transit and destination “for sustained cooperation” along the entire route.
“The priorities are the coordination of search and rescue operations, disembarkation in a safe place within the framework of coordinated standard operating procedures, support for survivors and bereaved families, improving information on missing migrants and strengthening the fight against smugglers who exploit people”, insists the press release.
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© 2026 AFP
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