Mauritanian's Year-Long Search Ends in Tragedy: 5 Relatives Found Dead After Cayuco Disaster in Brazil

The Tragedy off the Coast of Brazil: A Mauritanian Family's Year-Long Search for Answers Valencia, Spain – A year after a cayuco carrying 55 men washed ashore in Brazil, leaving a trail of death and despair, the story of Ali Sokhona and his family highlights the human cost of perilous migration journeys. Five of the deceased were Sokhona's relatives, all from his village of Tachott in Mauritania. Sokhona, now a resident of Valencia, embarked on a year-long quest to find them, a journey that concluded with the devastating confirmation of their deaths. "The people didn't believe it," Sokhona recounts. "How can it be from Mauritania to Brazil? Well, look, in three or four months, you can arrive without an engine. Just with the waves, you reach Brazil. It's sad. People are still sad." His search began in February 2024, after 25 days of silence regarding his cousin, Diadie Demba Sokhona, and four other young men from Tachott. While some families have accepted the loss, Sokhona remains uncertain if his relatives are among the nine unidentified bodies buried in Belém's cemetery. His experience underscores the immense challenges faced by migrants and the lingering uncertainty and grief experienced by their families. The story serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of dangerous migration routes. The full multimedia report is available on @efe_noticias.