Sudanese drama 'The boat of the dead' mirrors migrant tragedies

Crammed into a small fishing boat and through a rough sea, African migrants are taken through a horrific journey as they realize their fragile vessel had began to sink.

The experience of these thousands of migrants have been relayed by five Sudanese actors in a piece of drama, “The boat of the dead”, in Khartoum.

Stage Director, Maher Saad said the idea is to pass a message to young people “that illegal immigration is a risks venture” adding that it leads to death or one become a victim of human trafficking.

“The main purpose of this drama is to encourage young people to stop illegal migration and trafficking of human beings,” he said. He explained that the theater is able to relay such message, because its tool is direct, effective and fast.

A female actress, Sanaa Saeed said she played the role of a woman who was forced to migrate in order for her family to have a decent life.

“Our message has been well transmitted as some of the spectators came to tell me at the end of the show they really felt the pain migrants go through,” she said.

Spokesman of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which had funded “The boat of death”, Dalia el-Roubi stresses that Sudan is a major transit point for migrants.

“Many of those who travel through Libya by road have perished, they also make their way through Sudan”, she said.

According to the UN, more than 200,000 migrants have made it to Europe this year through the Mediterranean and more than 2,500 died during the journey, mostly in the wrecks between Libya and Italy.

For Dalia el-Roubi, “sophisticated networks” of traffickers, are the real culprits in the uneventful tragedies..

“No country can solve this problem alone, We are interdependent,the European Union is working with Sudan in order to manage the flow of migrants” an official said.

However, Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Refugees (UNHCR) had accused Sudan of expelling more than 400 Eritreans, last month some of which were reportedly arrested while trying to enter Libya.