Dakar Rally may return to Africa

Next year's event will take place in South America for the first time

Organisers of the Dakar Rally say they hope to bring the event back to Africa by 2012.

Amaury Sports Organization owner Patrice Clerc said that the race would return when security was not an issue.

"We're totally dependent on the geopolitical situation," he said. "I don't know if it will be permissible for us to return by 2011 or 2012."

The 2008 race was cancelled 24 hours before the start in February because of security concerns.

Al-Qaida-linked militants killed a family of French tourists in Mauritania on 24 December, where eight of the 15 stages were set to be staged.

The 2009 event will be run from 3-18 January in Argentina and Chile, the first time in the race's 30-year history it will not run its traditional route.