French Foreign Minister admits thinking about cancelling the Dakar

On December 20, two days before the start of the Dakar, an assistance car from the French team Sodicars Racing, with six passengers including driver Phillip Boutron, exploded in Jeddah. There was talk of a bomb and thoughts immediately turned to a terrorist attack, a possibility confirmed by the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, interviewed by the broadcaster BMF TV.

“It could be - he said - We told the organizers and Saudi officials to be as transparent as possible about what had happened, because there were hypotheses that it could be a terrorist attack. There have already been terrorist acts in Saudi Arabia against French interests, it was important to protect our citizens ”.

The Minister also revealed that some consideration had even been given to stopping the Dakar.

"We thought that perhaps it was better to suspend this sporting event, but the organizers thought not. They had to reinforce security, which they have done. The question is still on the table”, concluded Le Drian.

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