| Separatists do not want to let riders into the sands of the Sahara Less than a week remains before the start of the traditional Paris-Dakar marathon, which opens the FIM World Cup off-road rally-raid season. Not long ago, addressing the participants, the sports director of the company that organized the TCO race, Hubert Auriol, noted: “In order to remain true to the spirit of the Dakar, starting with this 23rd marathon, we decided to return to the fundamental values of the rally: start on January 1 from Paris, passing through France and Spain, then landing in Morocco, crossing Mauritania, Mali and finishing 20 days later in Dakar.” However, on the very eve of Catholic Christmas, representatives of the Popular Front for Liberation of Seguiet El Hamra and Rio de Oro, fighting for the independence of Western Sahara, said that they would do everything possible to prevent Dakar participants from crossing the Sahara.
Thus, the 7th stage of the rally, 489 km of which is laid between Goulimin (Morocco) and Smara (Western Sahara), was in danger of being disrupted even before the start. 420 km of this high-speed section pass through a practically deserted area that was occupied by Morocco 25 years ago. And, as reported in a communiqué from the “Ministry of Information of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic” obtained by AFP, “the passage of the rally through Western Sahara is an insult to the will of the Sahrawi people, a challenge to the nations inhabiting it and a violation of the truce in force since September 6, 1991.” Therefore, the Polisario Front, to which the race organizers did not apply for permission to travel, holds Morocco responsible for violating the ceasefire and considers itself “free from all obligations regarding compliance with the current truce.” Another separatist organization, the Association of the Moroccan Sahara, immediately responded to the Polisario Front's appeal. The AMC representative assured the Dakar participants: “The Polisario Front has no right to speak on behalf of all Sahrawis, but our association says welcome to the Paris-Dakar rally and promises the riders the warmest welcome.”
According to the three-time winner of the race, sports director of Master Rally Rene Metzha, “to ensure safety, it will most likely be necessary to cancel the high-speed section and drive the caravan from Gulimin to Smara in a bunch.” Let us remind you that Russia at Dakar 2001 is represented by the KamAZ team, as well as three crews with off-road vehicles rented in France. Konstantin KOMKOV, Paris |
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