Dozens of Sudanese migrants are missing after three boats departed from the Libyan port city of Tobruk toward Greece last week and reportedly sank in the Mediterranean Sea.
According to Jamal al-Din Suleiman, a relative of one of the passengers, over 120 migrants were aboard the boats, including 67 Sudanese nationals. His cousin, Ibrahim Saeed, was among them and has not been heard from since June 10.
Families of the missing say they received unconfirmed reports that all three boats may have capsized. Four victims from the town of Kutum in North Darfur — Khaled Adam, Abdullah Adam Idris, Muawia Hatem, and an unidentified young man — have been reported dead.
Most of the missing are believed to be from Nyala (South Darfur), North Darfur, El-Nahud (West Kordofan), Sennar, and Al Jazirah. Libyan authorities have not issued any statements about the incident.
Between May 18 and June 14, at least 1,969 migrants were intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration. The highest number occurred between June 8 and 14, with 635 interceptions reported.
Human rights groups continue to raise concerns over the return of migrants to Libya, where many face poor conditions and abuse in detention centers.
UNHCR estimates around 313,000 Sudanese refugees are currently registered in Libya, primarily in Kufra, Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Misrata, and Tripoli.
