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Dakar: Cancellation criticised
04/01/2008 20:46 - (SA)
Ahmed Mohamed
Nouakchott - Mauritania's foreign minister criticised the French organisers of the Dakar Rally on Friday for cancelling the trans-Saharan race that would have traversed the desert nation.
Organisers announced on Friday that the race had been cancelled over concerns about safety in Mauritania, a nation enveloped in sand dunes that has been rocked by back-to-back attacks blamed on terrorists.
Foreign Minister Babah Sidi Abdallah said during an interview with the RTL television station: "No new element can justify the concern expressed by the French organisers (of the race) ... We have taken every measure to ensure that the rally goes forward without incident."
Huge loss for country
Of particular concern was the slaying last week of four French tourists, an attack the government of Mauritania blamed on an Algeria-based terror sleeper cell affiliated with al-Qaeda.
To reassure the organisers of the rally, a 9 275km dash from Europe to Africa, Mauritania had mobilised a 3 000 man security force.
The race's cancellation is a huge loss for the country perched on the far rim of the Sahara desert. The passage of the hundreds of cars and motorcycles provides an annual boost for small desert towns that rarely see visitors.
France on Thursday expressed concerns about the race, which was due to start in Lisbon on Saturday and finish in Dakar, Senegal, on January 20.
In-between, the contestants were scheduled to complete eight stages in Mauritania in what is one of the world's most punishing and dangerous races, traversing deserts, scrubland and savannas before finishing on a wind-swept beach.
- SAPA
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