Cancellation
The rally was cancelled on January 4, 2008, due to safety concerns in Mauritania, following the killing of four French tourists there on Christmas Eve, December 2007. France-based Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), in charge of the 6,000 km (3,730 mi) rally, said in a statement they had been advised by the French government to cancel the race. They said direct threats had also been made against the event by "terrorist organizations". Before the start of the race, rally director Étienne Lavigne had approved the Mauritanian legs only after two stages planned for Mali were scrapped. An Al-Qaeda affiliate organization was blamed for the cancellation.
The ASO quickly organised a new series of replacement races, with the Central Europe Rally three months later, with a Hungary to Romania route, replacing the Dakar Rally. A new race, keeping the Dakar Rally name, was organised in South America in 2009.
Read more about this topic: 2008 Dakar Rally