The ship was plying the route from Ziguinchor in the Casamance region to the Senegalese capital, Dakar, when it ran into a violent storm, farther out to sea than it was licensed to travel. The estimated 2,000 passengers aboard (about half of whom lacked tickets) would have amounted to nearly four times the ship's design load. The large numbers sleeping on-deck (and thus above its center of buoyancy) added further instability. Rescue operations did not start for several hours.
A government inquiry principally blamed negligence, and accusations were directed at both the Senegalese presidentAbdoulaye Wade and premier Mame Madior Boye.
MV Le Joola
Route and approximate location of the sinking of Le Joola.
The ship was named Le Joola after the Jola people of southern Senegal. Constructed in Germany and delivered in 1990, it was 79m (259ft 2in) long and 12m (39ft 4in) wide, weighed 1,400 tons,[2] had two motors, and was equipped with some of the latest safety equipment available at the time of the disaster. Le Joola usually traveled twice a week and often carried women who sold mangoes and palm oil in Dakar. At the time of the disaster, the ship had been out of service for almost a year undergoing repairs, which included replacement of the port engine.
The ship was introduced as a solution to Senegal's geographical challenge, connecting the separated Casamance region to the rest of the country. Due to the presence of The Gambia between Casamance and the central/northern Senegal, travel options were limited to a damaged eastern road or a western sea route. However, road attacks during a separatist rebellion made the boat journey safer. In 1995, the military took control of the Joola to verify passenger identities, yet overcrowding remained a persistent issue.[2]
Voyage and incident
At about 1:30 pm on 26 September 2002, Le Joola started from Ziguinchor in the Casamance region on one of its frequent voyages between southern Senegal and Dakar. More than 1,928 people officially crowded onto the ferry, which had a capacity of 536 passengers.[3] 185 people boarded the ship from Carabane, an island where there was no formal port of entry or exit for passengers. The exact number of passengers remains unknown (some Senegalese organizations put the number at more than 2,000), but there were 1,034 travelers with tickets. The rest of the passengers were either not required to hold tickets (children aged less than 5) or had been permitted to travel for free, as often happens.[4] A surviving freight worker noted that from the number of tickets sold, he could see that there would be a significant overcrowding situation aboard the vessel.[5] Reportedly, as it set sail from Ziguinchor, Le Joola was already tilting.[2]
The last call from the ferry staff was broadcast to a maritime security center in Dakar at 10pm and reported good traveling conditions. At around 11pm, the ship moved into a storm off the coast of Gambia. As a result of the rough seas and wind, the ferry capsized, throwing passengers and cargo into the sea, all within five minutes.
Survivors recalled the ferry overturning swiftly during heavy rain, with one describing the boat tilting before capsizing, causing a flood. Another survivor recounted clinging to the ferry's keel after swimming through a partially open window, while another described being tossed by winds and waves until finding refuge on part of the overturned vessel.[5]
Survivors faced challenges such as finding life jackets and escaping from the submerged vessel, with some resorting to smashing portholes to escape.[5] In an interview, Ismaila Ndaw, a retired diver from the Senegalese Navy who had been in charge of security on the Joola until shortly before it sank, recalled that the life jackets had been deliberately bound tightly together to prevent passengers from accessing them, noting "It was a mess: Any time there was a small incident, everyone would rush to take one."[2] While many of the ship's passengers may have died during or immediately after the capsizing, a large number probably survived, only to drown while awaiting rescue. In an interview, one passenger mentioned that approximately 20 individuals had succeeded in climbing onto the hull and remained there for several hours. They could hear cries from beneath them, indicating that some passengers were still alive in air pockets that were keeping the boat buoyant.[2]
Investigations later revealed that no alarm had been triggered, and no distress signal had been transmitted to Dakar or Ziguinchor. It wasn't until around 7 a.m. that authorities learned of the disaster from passing vessels. Even then, their response was delayed. According to a report by Senegalese investigators, the Senegalese Air Force did not dispatch search-and-rescue aircraft until nearly noon. Instead, it was local fishermen with pirogues that initially recovered bodies and rescued survivors. They were able to rescue a few people but also recovered several bodies that were floating around Le Joola. At 2pm, they rescued a 15-year-old boy. The boy confirmed that there were still many people trapped alive inside the ship; there were reports of noises and screaming coming from within.[6] Only 64 passengers survived.[2] Of more than 600 women aboard, only one woman, Mariama Diouf, survived; she was pregnant at the time.[7] Among the first responders was diver Ismaila Ndaw. Upon reaching the vessel in the afternoon and entering through the restaurant area, he was confronted with hundreds of bodies, some still clasping hands. Moving towards the bow, Ndaw encountered the sealed first-class cabins, which remained unflooded. Inside, some passengers gestured through the port windows. However, Ndaw explained that they lacked the necessary equipment, such as welding torches, to breach the hull, and opening the cabin doors risked causing the already-floating boat to sink. Ndaw noted that none of the passengers he saw alive in the cabins were rescued.[2]
Le Joola remained capsized but afloat until around 3pm, at which point it finally sank stern first, taking with it those who were unable to get out of the ship.[4]
Causes
Despite investigations by both the Senegalese government[2][8] and French authorities prompted by the deaths of 18 French citizens, the exact causes of the incident have remained unknown as of 2022. The multitude of mistakes that contributed to the tragedy have been extensively documented: Le Joola lacked a sailing license; its crew neglected to consult the weather forecaster before departure; and the captain frequently failed to ensure proper balance of the ferry.[2] Potential factors such as engine failure, navigational errors, adverse weather conditions, inadequate maintenance, and overcrowding—or a combination thereof—have been suggested as likely causes.[3] Reports revealed that only one of the ship's two engines was operational.[2]
In 2003, Senegal closed its investigation, attributing blame to the captain, Issa Diarra, who died during the incident.[9] Similarly, French courts terminated a lengthy probe that implicated seven Senegalese officials, citing lack of jurisdiction for Paris.[3]
While rough seas and wind were responsible directly for the capsizing, the ferry was built only to travel in coastal waters but was sailing beyond this coastal limit when it capsized. Overcrowding is one of the most commonly mentioned factors for the disaster, both for the capsizing and the great number of deaths (since there were insufficient life jackets). Due to the heat and claustrophobic conditions below deck, as many passengers as possible usually slept on the upper level, making the ship more unstable. The ship was only 12 years old and was built to be in service for at least 30 years but had suffered a number of technical problems in the years before it capsized. These problems are now attributed to poor maintenance by its owners and not to any design or manufacturing flaws.[10]
At least 1,863 people died, although the exact number will never be known due to a large number of unticketed passengers aboard. At least 444 children were among the victims.[9] Among the dead were 1,201 male victims (61.5%) and 682 female victims (34.9%). The gender of 70 victims is unknown. The dead included passengers from at least 11 countries beside Senegal: Cameroon, Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, France, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Lebanon, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
On 28 September 2002, environmental activist Haïdar El Ali and his diving team explored the disaster area. They saw no survivors, but many bodies of men, women and children inside the ship. 300 corpses trapped inside were freed. Another 100 that were around the ship were also recovered. 551 dead bodies were recovered in total. Of that number, 93 were identifiable and given back to families. The remaining bodies were put to rest in specially-constructed cemeteries in Kabadio, Kantene, Mbao, and on the Gambian coast. National funerals were held on 11 October 2002, at the Esplanade du Souvenir in Dakar.
Repercussions and reparations
The Senegalese government initially offered families a payment of about US$22,000 per victim and dismissed several officials, but no one has ever been prosecuted, and the official report was finalized a year after the disaster.[11] Officials were charged with failure to respond quickly enough to the disaster, including high-ranking members of the Armed Forces of Senegal who were transferred to other posts. Despite this, little information was ever publicized about those who allowed the ferry to be overloaded or maintained poorly. Premier Mame Madior Boye was dismissed by President Abdoulaye Wade after the disaster with much of her cabinet, reportedly for mishandling the rescue.[12] In the 2007 election, Wade's rival and former Premier, Moustapha Niasse, accused Wade of covering up their responsibility for the disaster.[13] Families of victims, many of whom have been unwilling or unable to claim reparation, have continued to be critical of the government concerning its management of the rescue, the operation of the ferry which resulted in the disaster, and the reparation process.[14]
The families of French victims refused the 2003 reparations offers, and have pursued the Senegalese authorities in French courts. On 12 September 2008, French judge Jean-Wilfrid Noël delivered an indictment of nine Senegalese officials, including Boye and former Army Chief of Staff General Babacar Gaye. Senegalese official and popular reaction against these charges coming from the former colonial power have been hostile, with the Senegalese government issuing an arrest warrant for Noël in return.[15][16]
Associations representing victims from Senegal and France have advocated for the recovery of the sunken vessel, which lies at a depth of approximately 20 meters (60 feet) and is believed to contain numerous bodies.[3]
Senegalese footballer Aliou Cissé lost 12 members of his family in the incident,[17] and his team Birmingham City, in England, displayed a large Senegalese flag to remember the midfielder's family and the other people who lost their lives.[18][19]
Media
A documentary by Senegalese journalist Papa Moctar Selane was broadcast on the ninth anniversary of the tragedy, 26 September 2011. The documentary detailed the story of some of the survivors and questioned the slow rescue work.[20]
For the 20th anniversary, directors Efrem Gebreab and Nicola Milne produced a documentary, "The Joola: Africa’s Titanic," for BBC World Service.[21]
Memorials
The Le Joola Memorial Museum
In Ziguinchor, a customary observance occurs annually to commemorate the sinking of the vessel, with community members assembling to collectively offer prayers.[3]
In December 2019, Senegalese authorities agreed to build a national Le Joola memorial museum in Ziguinchor, at an estimated cost three billion CFA francs.[22] In September 2023, it was reported that the museum was nearing completion. Designed to honor the victims while providing educational insights, it is expected to feature exhibits on maritime history in Casamance, the shipwreck, and lessons learned from the disaster. Construction was initiated in December 2019 by Eiffage Senegal. Relics from the ship, including propellers, were reported to being gathered with the assistance of the navy.[23]
In January 2024, Prime Minister Amadou Ba inaugurated the Joola Boat Memorial in Ziguinchor in the presence of the Minister of Culture and Historical Heritage, Aliou Sow, and several government members.[24]
Memorial plaza in Ziguinchor near the place passengers embarked on Le Joola
The sinking of Le Joola is the second-worst non-military maritime disaster in number of lives lost.[2] The first is considered to be MVDoña Paz in 1987 with an estimated number of more than 4,000 people dead.[25]RMSTitanic, which sank in 1912 with 1,517 dead, would be third according to the World Almanac[full citation needed] and the New York Times.[26]
Casamance is the area of Senegal south of the Gambia, including the Casamance River. It consists of the Lower Casamance and the Upper Casamance. The largest city of Casamance is Ziguinchor.
Aliou Cissé is a Senegalese professional football coach and former player who was the recent manager of the Senegal national team. Cissé is best known for captaining the Senegal team which reached the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations Final and for being the first Senegal manager to win the tournament in 2022 after reaching the final in 2019.
MV Doña Paz was a Japanese-built and Philippine-registered passenger ferry that sank after it collided with the oil tanker Vector on December 20, 1987. Built by Onomichi Zosen of Hiroshima, Japan, the ship was launched on April 25, 1963 as the Himeyuri Maru with a passenger capacity of 608. In October 1975, the Himeyuri Maru was bought by Sulpicio Lines and renamed the Don Sulpicio. After a fire aboard in June 1979, the ship was refurbished and renamed Doña Paz.
The Casamance conflict is an ongoing low-level conflict that has been waged between the Government of Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) since 1982. On May 1, 2014, the leader of the MFDC sued for peace and declared a unilateral ceasefire.
Mame Madior Boye is a Senegalese politician who served as Prime Minister of Senegal from 2001 to 2002. She was the first woman to hold that position.
The MS al-Salam Boccaccio 98 was an Egyptian Ro/Ro passenger ferry, operated by El Salam Maritime Transport, that sank on 3 February 2006 in the Red Sea en route from Duba, Saudi Arabia, to Safaga in southern Egypt.
Aline Sitoe Diatta was a Senegalese heroine of the opposition to the French colonial empire, and a strong young female symbol of resistance and liberty. A Jola leader of a local religious group living in the village of Kabrousse, Basse Casamance, Diatta was one of the leaders of a tax resistance movement during World War II.
Mpack is a village in Niaguis Arrondissement, Ziguinchor Department, Ziguinchor Region in southern Senegal. Government statistics classified it as a rural community and recorded its population as 518 people in 72 households. It is located about seven kilometres from the regional capital of Ziguinchor. It is one of the endpoints of the 90-km long Oussouye-Kabrousse-Cap Skirring-Ziguinchor-Mpack road, which is being rebuilt with 17 billion CFA francs of funding from the European Union. The village used to be on the front lines of the Casamance Conflict between the Senegalese government and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance.
MV Princess of the Stars was a passenger ferry owned by Filipino shipping company Sulpicio Lines, that capsized and sank on June 21, 2008, off the coast of San Fernando, Romblon at the height of Typhoon Fengshen, which was locally named by PAGASA as Frank. The storm passed directly over Romblon as a Category 2 typhoon, leading to the capsizing of the vessel; 814 people died as a result of the disaster.
Carabane, also known as Karabane, is an island and a village located in the extreme south-west of Senegal, in the mouth of the Casamance River. This relatively recent geological formation consists of a shoal and alluvium to which soil is added by accumulation in the branches and roots of the mangrove trees which cover most of the island. Along with the rest of Ziguinchor Region, Carabane has a tropical climate, cycling between a dry season and a wet season. The island was once considered an arid location where no useful plants were likely to grow, but it now supports several types of fruit tree, the most common of which are mangos and oranges. Although the nearby Basse Casamance National Park and Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve have been closed for years because of the Casamance Conflict, Carabane has continued to attract ornithologists interested in its wide variety of birds. Various species of fish are plentiful around the island, but there are very few mammals.
The sinking of MV Teratai Prima occurred on 11 January 2009, around 04:00 local time when a ferry carrying more than 300 people capsized in the Makassar Strait off West Sulawesi, Survivors stated that the ferry had been slammed by 4-metre (13 ft) waves twice. The first one hit so hard that the ship became unbalanced, before another wave hit from a different direction and sank the vessel.
Bandial (Banjaal), or Eegima (Eegimaa), is a Jola language of the Casamance region of Senegal. The three dialects, Affiniam, Bandial proper, and Elun are divergent, on the border between dialects and distinct languages.
The MV Aline Sitoe Diatta is a ferry in active service since March 2008 between Ziguinchor and Dakar over the Atlantic Ocean. The ship passes the mouth of the Gambia river.
The ferry MV Sewol sank on the morning of April 16, 2014, en route from Incheon towards Jeju in South Korea. The 6,825-ton vessel sent a distress signal from about 2.7 kilometres north of Byeongpungdo at 08:58 KST. Out of 476 passengers and crew, 304 died in the disaster, including around 250 students from Danwon High School in Ansan City. Of the 172 survivors, more than half were rescued by fishing boats and other commercial vessels that arrived at the scene approximately 40 minutes before the Korea Coast Guard (KCG).
Ziguinchor is the capital of the Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the Casamance area of Senegal, lying at the mouth of the Casamance River. It has a population of 214,874. It is the eighth largest city of Senegal, but is nearly separated from the north of the country by the nation of The Gambia.
Youba Sambou is a Senegalese politician from Casamance who served in the government of Senegal as Minister of the Armed Forces from 2000 to 2002. He also served as Mayor of Bignona and was elected as a member of the National Assembly in 2007.
Bécaye Diop is a Senegalese politician, who is a member of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and has held several ministerial positions.
MV Sinar Bangun sank on 18 June 2018 in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, Indonesia, during its trip from Simanindo Harbour in Samosir Island to Tiga Ras Harbour in Simalungun Regency. The ferry was carrying 188 passengers and crew. After the sinking, authorities immediately deployed search and rescue personnel to the area. Twenty-one survivors were rescued, three bodies were found and 164 people were listed as missing and presumed dead.
MV Nyerere is a Tanzanian ferry that capsized on 20 September 2018 while travelling between the islands of Ukerewe and Ukara on Lake Victoria. The Tanzanian government have declared that 228 people died as a result of the capsizing while 41 could be rescued. The capsized ferry was successfully righted, retrieved and unloaded more than one week after the disaster.
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