| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa North |
| Morocco detains Gambian migrants |
| 2006-11-01 |
| The Moroccan navy late on Monday intercepted 108 migrants from Gambia between the Western Sahara and Spain's Canary islands, authorities said. The migrants' boat which left Gambia on October 15 was spotted as it entered the area off Dakhla after running out of gasoline. Many would-be emigrants are trying to reach the Spanish Atlantic islands from west Africa, notably Senegal and Mauritania, after surveillance around Spain's north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla was stepped up. Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, was annexed by Morocco in 1975. The United Nations has been seeking since 1992 to organise a referendum on self-determination for the territory. |
| Posted by:Fred |