Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC) has postponed the second round of the 2021 Africa Rally Championship that was scheduled in Rwanda from March 20-21.

The decision, according to the motorsport governing body, follows the spike in Covid-19 infections and death toll in the country which recently forced the government to announce a two-week lockdown in the capital Kigali.

"Considering the current global situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, we regret to inform the moto-sport fraternity and the public that the second round of the 2021 African Rally Championship (Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally) …is postponed to a later date,” reads part of the statement released RAC on Tuesday, February 2.

The covid-19 pandemic has continued to hurt African motorsport with the forced postponement of the Mountain Gorilla Rwanda Rally which follows yet another postponement of last year’s edition that was scheduled in May 2020.

The body revealed that they are closely working with their partners and the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’ Automobile) to monitor the situation and find a new date which will be communicated as soon as possible.

"We remain committed to our obligation to care about our teams and fans,” the statement further reads.

The postponement now puts Kenya’s Equator Rally as the first African Rally Championship event this year. It is scheduled for April 24-25.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions in different countries, the 2020 Africa Rally Championship was carried forward into 2021. Only one event; the Rallye Bandama in Ivory Coast had been covered before the pandemic last year.