International Rally to Cross Guerguerat Border into Mauritania

The 18th edition of the Africa Eco Race will commence in Tangier, Morocco, on January 24, traversing the country before crossing into Mauritania and Senegal. The rally will pass through several cities, including Meknes, Arfoud, Errachidia, Assa, Laayoune, and Dakhla, before exiting Morocco through the Guerguerat border crossing on January 31.

The route was announced by the organizers, who detailed the race's itinerary. The event will start in Tangier, moving to Meknes and Arfoud on January 25, followed by Errachidia on January 26 and 27, and Assa on January 27 and 28. The rally will then proceed to Laayoune on January 28, Dakhla on January 30, and cross the Guerguerat border on January 31, continuing into Mauritania and Senegal.

The rally's passage through Morocco's southern regions carries political and security implications. The Polisario Front, which advocates for Western Sahara's independence from Morocco, has previously threatened to disrupt the race. In past instances, they have obstructed the route leading to the Guerguerat border crossing, protesting the organizers' support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.

Tensions escalated in November 2020, when the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces intervened to reopen the Guerguerat border crossing, which had been blocked by Polisario Front elements. Since then, the crossing has held strategic importance for commercial and civilian movement between Morocco, Mauritania, and other West African nations.

This year's rally will be the first since the November 2020 intervention, and the first to cross the Guerguerat border since 2011.

CONTEXT: The Guerguerat border crossing is a strategic point for trade and travel between Morocco and Mauritania. The Polisario Front's threats and actions have previously disrupted the Africa Eco Race, highlighting the ongoing political tensions surrounding the Western Sahara conflict.