The Paris-Dakar Rally – has Africa lost it for good?

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• Kofi 9 years ago

  Interesting piece and awesome journalistic writing. Keep it up, man. Happy New Year.

  Interesting piece and awesome journalistic writing. Keep it up, man. Happy New Year.

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• OYOKOBA. 9 years ago

  Ok Kofi, you have unearthed in me something I have long suppressed. I remember standing in awe and cheering with a number of Nigerien (Republic of Niger) citizens cheering these guys riding and driving what we considered mons ...
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  Ok Kofi, you have unearthed in me something I have long suppressed. I remember standing in awe and cheering with a number of Nigerien (Republic of Niger) citizens cheering these guys riding and driving what we considered monster motorcycles with huge shock absorbers and racing cars that seemed to have churned out of Hollywood, amidst plumes of dusts. Yes I was there in the middle of nowhere in the Niger moon landscape walloped up in moving sand dunes and mirages at a little town called Keita in the region of Tahoua.
  
  Yes there was virtually non-economic benefit to the people but at least it put Niger on the map, and brought in follow up tourism to the country. Thank you so much. Yes Africa should bring back the race. If anything, the Ecowas community should resurrect it as a means to promote tourism, a get to know each other, and a marching advancement towards a tighter integration. Of course we have to get rid of the crazies such as fundamentalist Islamists like Boko Haram and Tuareg nationalists. We can run it along the coastline from Dakar to Lagos and up Sokoto or Kano through Agadez, Niamey, Ouagadougou, Bamako and back to Dakar, promoting tourism on the scale of the East African Safari. After all Safari is the same word as we know it as Sahara in West Africa. Bravo!

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• Kofi Amenyo 9 years ago

  Yep, OYOKOBA, those engines are really monstrous. Your description captures it better than I did. That's what everybody who sees those vehicles close up says. They are specially built for the tough conditions.
  
  Thanks for ...
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  Yep, OYOKOBA, those engines are really monstrous. Your description captures it better than I did. That's what everybody who sees those vehicles close up says. They are specially built for the tough conditions.
  
  Thanks for your comment and sorry for the late reaction to it.

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• kofikofi 9 years ago

  what a beautiful and insightful write up!!. Africa has lost an enviable sport. Kudos Mr writer

  what a beautiful and insightful write up!!. Africa has lost an enviable sport. Kudos Mr writer

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• ATTA OWUSU 9 years ago

  These days the location of this tough sports primarily depends on who has money to sponsor it.Certainly these drug cartels in these South American countries have more than enough funds to lure the sports to their territory. A ...
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  These days the location of this tough sports primarily depends on who has money to sponsor it.Certainly these drug cartels in these South American countries have more than enough funds to lure the sports to their territory. As the adage goes, he who pays the piper calls the tune. Dakar has lost it for good.

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• Alonte din 9 years ago

  Very informative for even I the average rally follower.
  
  Really interesting

  Very informative for even I the average rally follower.
  
  Really interesting

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• Tim Hulme 9 years ago

  There is an entire team of South Africans there. I'd love to see it back in Africa though!

  There is an entire team of South Africans there. I'd love to see it back in Africa though!

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• McTenrrtout 9 years ago

  White?

  White?

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• Zwai 9 years ago

  I know Giniel De Villiers is there as always, not sure how many other competitors from Africa will be there.

  I know Giniel De Villiers is there as always, not sure how many other competitors from Africa will be there.

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