By Fatou Krubally
A total of 181 Gambians were among 911 migrants rescued or intercepted by the Mauritanian Coast Guard during a series of maritime operations conducted over five days along the Atlantic migration route.
According to statements from the Mauritanian Coast Guard, the operations took place between 28 May and 2 June 2026 and involved several vessels departing from The Gambia and other West African countries.
The most recent rescue occurred on 2 June off the coast of Nouakchott, where Coast Guard units responded to a vessel carrying 110 migrants after it developed engine failure about eight nautical miles offshore.
Authorities said the boat had departed from Banjul. The rescue operation began at 1:00 a.m. and ended at 9:00 a.m.
Among those rescued were 10 Gambians, alongside nationals from Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria. The passengers included 98 men, 12 women and three minors.
On 31 May, the Mauritanian Coast Guard rescued another vessel carrying 143 migrants, also reported to have departed from Banjul.
That group included 88 Gambians, as well as nationals from Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Mali and Nigeria. Women and children were among those rescued.
Earlier, on 29 May, authorities intercepted a canoe carrying 223 migrants that had also departed from The Gambia.
The passengers included 84 Gambians, along with nationals from Senegal, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau. Women and minors were also on board.
The Coast Guard further reported that three additional operations conducted within a 72-hour period ending 30 May involved 435 migrants of various nationalities, including 87 Gambians.
With these operations, a total of 911 migrants were rescued or intercepted during the five-day period, including 181 Gambian nationals.
Mauritanian authorities said all rescued migrants were processed in line with applicable legal and humanitarian procedures.