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On Sunday, the organizers of the Africa Eco Race announced the launch of the 11th edition of the sports event linking Monaco to Dakar. Participants will have to go through a series of Moroccan regions to reach Mauritania.
According to a map published on the Africa Eco Race website, drivers participating to the annual race will have to cross the Moroccan desert, stopping by Assa Zag, Fort Chacal (near Laayoune), Dakhla and the Guerguerat border crossing to enter the Mauritanian city of Chami.
On Monday, Yabiladi published an article in which it referred to the fact that the Polisario Front has not reacted to the Africa Eco Race’s route. Unlike last year, when the separatist deployed its armed forces to Guerguerat, threating to stop the race, the Polisario ignored the sports event.
Reports on the Polisario intervention
However, several reports emerged indicating that the Polisario has once again threatened to put an end to the Race expected to make it through the Guerguerat border crossing. The information was first shared, Tuesday, by daily newspaper Al Alam which reported that «the Africa Eco Race has angered the Polisario Front».
On Wednesday, Arabic-language online newspaper Hespress wrote that «the Front has deployed its armed forces at the Guerguerat border crossing». The newspaper quoted a letter that «was sent by the Front to the Africa Eco Race’s organizers».
The Polisario gives its version of the story
According to the same source, the Front complained in its letter about not being notified about the race. Reportedly, the Front said that it would block the race if it gets provoked.
The same thing was reported by daily newspaper Al Massae on Thursday. Quoted by Le 360, the Arabic-language media said that «despite the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General (…) the Polisario is planning to storm Guerguerat».
However, an official source from the Polisario spoke to Futuro Sahara, an online newspaper close to the Front, on Wednesday denying all reports made public by Moroccan media.
Moreover, the Front’s supposed «threats», regarding the Africa Eco Race, have not made it to the separatist movement’s official press agency. Futuro Sahara has even criticized the Front’s leadership for not reacting to the race’s 11th edition.
