21 Bodies Recovered off Coast of Tunisia after Migrant Boat Sinks

The bodies of 21 migrants were recovered by the Tunisian National Office for Civil Protection on Friday. Their boat had sunk off the coast of Sfax while trying to cross to Italy.

The Middle East Eye reports that the Director of the ONPC, Mourad Al-Mishri, said that the bodies of the migrants were recovered 2.5 nautical miles from the coast of Sfax. Al Mishri said, “the causes of the sinking and the number of migrants on board are still unknown,” and that a search and rescue operation was still underway. He added that the recovered bodies were those of Sub-Saharan Africans. The deceased included two babies.

According to the Middle East Eye, the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights said that the estimated number of migrants arriving in Italy from the Tunisian coast, while only 800 in 2019, had surged to 8 000 in 2020.

Joblessness, challenging social conditions and the lack of any tangible development in Tunisia and Sub-Saharan Africa were reportedly the main reasons motivating the youth to migrate to Europe.

Umm Muhammed Umar

Lebanon: A Sacrificial Lamb

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 27 April 2026 3-minute read In an interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany, Professor Jeff Halper, director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, stated that Israel, in its endeavour to implement the Abrahamic Accords,...

City Power In Debt

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 28 April 2026 3-minute read Fuel supplier African Rhino Fuels has launched legal action against City Power, a Johannesburg power utility, alleging its non-payment for 250 000 litres of diesel in July 2025. Struggling to keep...

Global Order Under Pressure – Kenneth Roth Warns of a Dangerous Drift Toward Power Over Principle

Annisa Essack | kzn@radioislam.org.za 28 April 2026 | 2-minute read LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE At a time when the world feels increasingly combustible, questions about the strength and relevance of international law are no longer confined to lecture halls or...

The Asia Pacific Report

Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za 23 April 2026 | 12:15 CAT 4-minute read Filipino migrant workers cannot return to Middle East Over 40 000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are currently stranded or unable to return to the Middle East due to airspace...

A Frozen Conflict

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 22 April 2026 3-minute read Trump’s announcement of an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran, while continuing the blockade at the behest of Pakistan, has left the conflict in the Middle East unresolved. In an...

Pakistan’s Role As Mediator

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 20 April 2026 1-minute read Pakistan’s field marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif concluded separate diplomatic visits aimed at ending the Israel/US and Iran conflict. Marium Kamal, political analyst and...