By Adama Makasuba
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad has disclosed that the Ministry is in diplomatic talk with the Mauritanian government over the detention of 35 Gambian migrants who were heading to Spain.
The 35 Gambian migrants who were on-board a boat to Spain and have been missing since last year are reportedly detained in Mauritania which sparked fear and concerns among the relatives of the families of those onboard the boat.
The missing boat which left Gunjur last November was said to have been intercepted by the Mauritanian navy and the migrants detained at a notorious DARU NAIM prison in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott. All the 35 migrants are reportedly alive as their relatives call on the Barrow administration through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene and bring home the migrants.
Speaking to The Voice Newspaper, Awa Touray, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said her Ministry is aware of the detention of the migrants, but they are in talks with their Mauritanian counterpart to ensure the migrants are released.
“Yes, we are, and I spoke to Musa Camara, director of diaspora. We are aware and we are in touch with the mission in Mauritania,” Ms Touray said and promised to feed them with more details as talks advanced between the two nations.
The Gambians are among people who widely traveled to Europe through the perilous ‘backway’ route.
Mustapha Jatta, whose cousin is among the migrants in the boat said: “here I come again as I did before. one of my cousins is involved in this boat and I must commend The Voice for their efforts to providing us with incredible news regarding the matter, now that the boat the migrants are found in Mauritania; I like other families of the migrants are relying on the Ministry for further information as concerning the new development on the issue.”