Senegal: twenty-one people declared dead after capsizing off Kébémer

For years, thousands of young people from West Africa have been attempting to reach Europe illegally, taking the Atlantic route, primarily towards the Spanish Canary Islands. These crossings are often undertaken aboard overloaded and poorly maintained boats.

According to a statement from the Senegalese Ministry of the Interior, “as of the evening of November 7, 2026, the provisional toll stands at 21 lifeless bodies and one survivor.” The exact date of the shipwreck has not been specified.

The ministry added that “the competent services of the State are mobilized to continue the searches, provide assistance to any potential survivors and support the families.” The Minister of the Interior will travel to the scene on Monday to express his compassion and solidarity with the families of the victims and the affected populations.

Saliou Diouf, founder of the association “Boza Fii,” confirmed that the shipwreck occurred on Friday. The tragedy took place off the coast of Loumpoul, in the Louga region, between Dakar and Saint-Louis.

The daily newspaper Le Soleil reports that most of the victims are believed to be from the communes of Léona and Thiéppe, in the same department. It is not yet confirmed whether other nationalities are represented among the victims.

“The bodies recovered yesterday (Saturday) are those of Senegalese people,” Mr. Diouf specified.

Furthermore, the Senegalese gendarmerie announced that it had intercepted 142 clandestine migrants off Dakar, including women and children, attempting to reach Spain. This operation, conducted on Friday, took place on the sidelines of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Dakar.

Among those intercepted were 40 Senegalese, 93 Gambians, one citizen of Guinea-Bissau, two Guineans, and two Nigerians. Two infants and two minors were also part of the group.

These attempts at migration are motivated by the search for a better future, facing poverty and lack of opportunities in their countries, or to escape conflicts and authoritarianism.

The NGO Action for Human Rights and Friendship (ADHA) recently warned against the persistence of “dangerous departures” to Europe, highlighting the arrival of “nearly 1,000” West Africans in the Spanish Canary Islands at the end of October.

The Ministry of the Interior reaffirmed its determination to combat human trafficking networks, by strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries. The strengthening of maritime controls by Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco has shifted the departures of pirogues southward, affecting the coasts of Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea.