PRESS RELEASE
Death of Six (6) people in the Tunisian – Algerian Saharan Desert
Cairo – 15 August, 2021: The Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Cairo; the Arab Republic of Egypt has received sad news from Tunisian authorities on the death of six people among whom are four children. Initial reports available to the Embassy alleged that all six victims are Sierra Leoneans.
The information detailed that the victims set off on a perilous journey from Algeria to Tunisia through the Sahara Desert in an effort to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe when they faced their tragic demise in the Republic of Tunisia axis near the border with Algeria.
The source further revealed that the corpses of the six (6) were discovered by Tunisian Security personnel who routinely patrol frontiers to maintain security and prevent illegal immigration. The victims who include a mother, her four children; two of whom are twins and another young lady were discovered dead in the Sahara Desert near the border with Algeria amid the recent severe heatwave that swept across Tunisia, the whole Mediterranean and part of Europe.
The remains of the deceased are in custody of the Tunisian security authorities awaiting autopsy, at the same time, working with the community towards establishing the true identity of the dead. Family members were reached and they claimed that the bodies are their family members.
At the moment, consultations are going on between the Embassy and the Tunisian authorities who are leading the fact-finding mission, the Governor of the Tunisia Tozeur region, the International Organization for Migration (I.O.M.), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Sierra Leone Community in Tunisia and the family members.
The Embassy will continue to work closely with those Tunisian authorities to validate the veracity of this information and the results of our findings will be duly communicated to the appropriate authorities and the general public in this regard.
By: Mohamed B. Kallon,
Information Attaché,
Sierra Leone Embassy, Cairo,
The Arab Republic of Egypt
Email : information.attache@slembassy.gov.sl, mbkallon2020@gmail.com+2001104354510
