No fewer than 125 Senegalese migrants have been rescued off Mauritanian territorial waters by the countrys coastguard.
The migrants were rescued from a wooden canoe which had run out of water after surfing the waves for two days.
They included seven women and an unspecified number of children, and were trying to reach the Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands.
They will be sent to their country of origin, according to regulations in Mauritania.
It would be recalled that early in June, 53 predominantly Senegalese migrants were arrested by the Mauritanian gendarmerie off Nouadhibou, while heading for the Canary Islands.
Three weeks later in Nouadhibou, another group of nine Senegalese and one Beninoise were also detained by Mauritanian gendarmes for the same reasons.
Nouakchott and Madrid are bound by an agreement which provides for the arrest by Mauritania of all illegal migrants on its territory heading to Spain.
As part of this agreement, the Spanish authorities are providing logistical and training assistance to the Mauritanian ()
Source: NAN