A young Moroccan man, Oussama Hemham, who once played for Amal Al Aaroui Football Club, died after Algerian coast guards opened fire Sunday on a migrant boat attempting to reach Europe, according to the club’s general secretary Mohamed Farcham, who previously coached Hemham and confirmed his death to Hespress English.
Farcham said that Oussama’s death was received through his family. “His relatives told us he died from his injuries after being shot at sea, and he was the only one to get shot on the boat” Farcham said.
Farcham said that there’s a growing trend of irregular migration from the town. “So many young people from Al Aaroui are leaving like this,” he said. “Our club’s Facebook page, which should be full of football news, is now filled with messages announcing that another young man has decided to head to Europe.”
Hemham, the former footballer with local club Amal Al Aaroui, was among a group of young men who left from the beach of Saidia Sunday in northeast Morocco, using water scooters to reach a small inflatable boat known as a “phantom.”
Their goal was to cross the Mediterranean to Almería, Spain, in search of better economic opportunities.
The journey turned deadly when the boat veered into Algerian waters while trying to avoid Moroccan naval patrols.
According to reports, the Algerian coast guard began pursuing the boat. When the migrants didn’t stop, the guards reportedly opened fire. Hemham was hit in the kidney area and suffered severe internal bleeding.
Despite efforts by fellow passengers to stop the bleeding and save him, the limited resources on the inflatable boat were not enough.
The group eventually reached the Spanish coast, where emergency services were called. Hemham died shortly after arrival due to his critical injuries.
According to local media reports, a family member traveled from Germany to Spain to identify the body and begin the process of repatriating it to Morocco.
Hespress English reached out to local NGOs based in Nador and Saidia for comment and further details surrounding the incident.
However, the organizations said they have no details yet on the circumstances of Oussama Hemham’s death and will begin investigating the case
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