TUNIS: The bodies of two migrants have been found in a desert region near Tunisia’s border with Algeria, a judicial official and a witness said.
Hundreds of migrants from sub-Saharan countries have fled or been forced out of Tunisia’s port city of Sfax after racial tensions flared following the July 3 killing of a Tunisian man in an altercation between locals and migrants.
Many have been left to fend for themselves in harsh conditions in remote desert areas near Tunisia’s borders with Algeria and with Libya.
Around 10 days ago one body was found in the Hazoua desert, near Algeria’s border, and another was discovered on Monday night, Nizar Skander, a spokesman for the court in the south-eastern Tozeur district, said.
“Both bodies are of men, and rescuers have recovered the one found yesterday,” a witness, who declined to be identified for security reasons, added.
The witness, a local merchant, said that in one week two convoys were seen transporting migrants to the desert, with nearly 100 left in the vicinity of Hazoua.
“Many of these migrants are trying to reach oases in the area where residents give them food and water,” the witness said.
Skander said the authorities have launched a “dubious death” investigation to determine the exact cause of the two fatalities.
Comments are closed.