Cameroonians die attempting to cross to Europe

They perished in their quest for pastures green alongside other African nationals when their boat ran out of fuel

By Ntaryike Divine, Jr. in Douala

Several Cameroonians are now known to have perished in an umpteenth futile attempt to sneak into Europe from North Africa . A Tunisian daily said Monday that in all 50 people including other African nationals died.

The exact number of Cameroonians involved in the incident was not known. The Tunisian Arab language daily, Assabah Ousbouii said 16 people out of a total of 66 survived.

According to details of the story that shocked the world Monday, 12 May, the illegal immigrants including “mostly Cameroonians, Nigerians, Kenyans, Tunisians and Moroccans” embarked on the perilous journey from the Tunisian coast. The 66 traveled aboard a
5-metre-long boat.

Unfortunately for them, the boat soon ran out of fuel on the high seas some 400km off the coasts of Libya and several nautical miles from the nearest Italian island. They floated without direction for five days. Assabah Ousbouii reported that initially, some 47 of
the passengers died of hunger, thirst or just froze to death.

Unable to bear the stench, the surviving passengers flung the dead into the sea. The boat apparently drifted back to starting point. It was discovered on a Tunisian beach around Monastir with three cadavers and sixteen people dangling between life and death.