Africa Eco Race to cross Morocco's southern provinces in January after past Guerguerat disruptions

Organizers of the Africa Eco Race have unveiled the route of the rally’s 18th edition, which will take competitors from Tangier through Laayoune and Dakhla before crossing into Mauritania at Guerguerat, where pro-Polisario demonstrators briefly obstructed the same competition in 2020.

The race will begin on January 24, 2027, with stages through Meknes, Erfoud, M’Hamid and Assa before reaching Laayoune on January 28 and Dakhla the following day. After a rest day on January 30, competitors will continue into Mauritania and Senegal, finishing at Lac Rose near Dakar on February 6.

Created in 2008 by former rally drivers Jean-Louis Schlesser and René Metge, the Africa Eco Race held its first edition in 2009, reviving the traditional African route after the Dakar Rally relocated to South America following the cancellation of its 2008 edition over security concerns.

Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal have remained central to the competition, which combines off-road racing with long-distance navigation across desert terrain. Its passage through Morocco’s southern provinces has nevertheless drawn objections from the Polisario Front.

In January 2019, the United Nations reported that the rally had crossed Guerguerat without interruption, despite speculation about possible obstruction. MINURSO military observers monitored the convoy’s passage through the border area.

A year later, on January 13, 2020, competitors were stopped for several minutes by pro-Polisario demonstrators protesting the rally’s route. Organizers told Yabiladi that participants spoke with protesters before being allowed to continue safely into Mauritania.

The incident preceded the wider blockade of the Guerguerat road later that year, which disrupted commercial traffic until Moroccan armed forces intervened on November 13, 2020. The Polisario subsequently declared the 1991 ceasefire over.

The movement again warned organizers about the risks of crossing the Sahara ahead of the 2022 edition, although that rally completed its passage into Mauritania without a reported security incident.

The competition has faced other interruptions unrelated to the territorial dispute. Its 2021 edition was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, while severe rain, strong winds and snowfall forced organizers to cancel the opening prologue and first timed stage in January 2026, when Tangier hosted the start for the first time.

Tangier will again host the departure in 2027, with organizers planning to strengthen logistical and safety arrangements along the three-country route. Detailed stage distances are expected following reconnaissance work in November.

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