Africa mourns its drowned migrants

 Touched by the drowning of African migrants off the coast of the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on 3 Oct. 2013, African heads of state and government have declared 3 Nov. a continental day of mourning.

The African Union Commission (AUC) said Monday that the day would be observed by all AU member states in memory of the victims.

According to the Commission, African leaders designated the mourning day at their extraordinary summit held here on 12 Oct. 2013.

Commemoration of the day would be an opportunity for all African nations to express solidarity with the families of the victims and reiterate their concern regarding the recurrence of such tragedies that “hurt human rights and human dignity and threaten peace, security and stability”, said the AUC.

The Commission said the day would also serve as a call to all Africans, including the youth, to reflect on appropriate actions for finding a lasting solution to the persistent problem that leads to the loss of young people on whom the continent relies to build a prosperous and peaceful future.

PANA reports that only 155 of the 500 passengers aboard the migrant boat survived when it caught fire and sank off the coast of Lampedusa. Only 296 bodies have been recovered.

Most of the the victims were Eritreans and Somalis heading to Europe.