Maghreb Edition

Sahel: Boat capsizes in Niger’s Goulbi River, kills 11 passengers

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Posted On 11 July 2019

Number of times this article was read : 185

July 11, 2019 – Eleven people drowned Thursday when their boat capsized on a river in central Niger, the governor of the region told AFP. The accident happened near the town of Maradi, said governor Zakari Oumarou of the Maradi region near the border with Nigeria. “Three or four passengers” of the boat were also reported missing, a local source added. The Goulbi is a seasonal river that originates in Nigeria.

“In the rainy season, the Goulbi cuts off the roads, obliging inhabitants to take small boats to go from one place to another,” a resident told AFP. In June, the UN warned the Sahel desert country risks floods affecting as many as 170,000 people this rainy season, which lasts about three months. In 2018, heavy rains were blamed for the deaths of 52 people and the destruction of 170,000 homes. The waters also destroyed 8,000 hectares of crops, killed 33,000 head of cattle and damaging schools and drinking water wells. The year before, 56 people died in flooding which affected some 206,000 people in total.

By AFP

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The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.