Ten Ethiopian nationals are feared to have drowned after a canoe carrying a group of migrants capsized during an attempted illegal crossing of the Zambezi River from Zambia into Botswana, the Zambia Police Service and the Department of Immigration said in a joint statement.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on the night of July 13 near Mwaanga Village in Chief Sekute’s Chiefdom, Kazungula District, when a group of 15 Ethiopian nationals attempted to cross the river by canoe. The matter came to public attention the following day after two men emerged from the river and sought assistance from local residents, who alerted immigration officials.
The two survivors were identified as Menigstu Getachew Arenga, 33, who was undocumented, and Anebo Madamo Demeke, 35, who was found with a passport but had allegedly failed to report to an immigration officer upon entering Zambia. Both are in lawful custody assisting with investigations and are being processed for immigration offences. Preliminary information gathered from the two survivors indicates that five members of the group of 15 managed to swim to safety, ten are suspected to have drowned, and the whereabouts of three others remain unknown.
Authorities immediately launched a coordinated search and rescue operation involving the Zambia Army Marine Special Forces, the Zambia Police Marine Unit, and the Fire Brigade and Rescue Services. As of the latest update, no bodies had been recovered, and officials stressed that the reported drowning of the ten individuals remains unconfirmed pending the outcome of the search.
The Zambia Police Service and the Department of Immigration have appealed to the public, particularly residents of border communities, to report any information that could assist the search, and to continue flagging suspected illegal crossings and human smuggling activity to the nearest law enforcement agency. The Zambezi River, Africa’s fourth-longest, is frequently used by migrants attempting to bypass official border posts across the region.
Sources: The Zambian Observer — Two Ethiopian nationals apprehended | Lusaka Times — Ten Ethiopians feared dead after canoe capsizes | Arab News — 10 Ethiopians presumed drowned crossing into Botswana
