Brazilian fishermen rescued two dozen migrants from Africa and Guyana found drifting near the northeast coast of Brazil after 35 days at sea, officials and local media said Sunday.

The migrants came from the small South American country of Guyana and from Nigeria and Senegal on the other side of the Atlantic, the human rights department for Brazil's state of Maranhao said in a statement.

There were 25 migrants — all men — on the boat and two Brazilians, the navy said in a statement.

The Brazilian pair were suspected of being people traffickers, O Imparcial and G1 news sites reported. They had reportedly spent 35 days afloat but there was no immediate indication of what route they had taken.

The boat, a catamaran, was carrying a Haitian flag, the navy said.

On Saturday, local fishermen found the vessel drifting off the Brazilian coastal town of Sao Jose de Ribamar, south of the Amazon river, the navy said.

An attempt by the authorities to locate the migrant boat from the air failed, so the fishermen towed it to port, while also feeding the stranded voyagers, the navy said.

By the time they got in, the fishing captain reported he had "no more food and water to give, because provisions were ending," the navy said.

Once ashore, they were "given medical attention and food," before being taken for processing by the Brazilian federal police, the Maranhao human rights department said.

"The group will be put into temporary housing provided by the state," it said. "The federal police will investigate the possible committing of crimes against the foreigners in relation to their arrival in Brazil and evaluate their legal situation in Brazil."

Navy captain accused in deadly Tunisia migrant boat sinking
Tunis (AFP) May 18, 2018 –

A Tunisian military probe into the sinking of a migrant boat in October that killed 46 people has blamed the captain of a naval vessel which struck it, the presidency said Friday.

The deaths of the Tunisian migrants trying to reach Europe was at the time called a "national catastrophe" by Prime Minister Youssef Chahed.

"The captain of the military ship and the captain of the (migrant) boat are accused, after their responsibility has been proven in this incident," the presidency said in a statement, after being informed of the results of an inquiry led by the military prosecutor's office.

The defence ministry and the prosecutor, contacted by AFP, were unable to confirm whether the two men had been formally charged or detained.

The tragedy took place on 8 October off the city of Sfax, with some of the 38 survivors accusing the military of deliberately ramming their boat after insulting them.

A defence ministry spokesman said the military vessel had followed the migrant boat for three and a half hours in an effort to convince it to turn back.