Miscellany

Mitsubishi swept the top positions, but Ari Vatanen of Finland and his Citroen retained the overall lead as official competition resumed in the Paris-Dakar Rally.

The race was stopped Friday after a driver of a support truck for the Citroen team was shot and killed by a sniper in the Malian village of Kadaouane.

The driver, Charles Cabannes, was the 26th person to die as a result of accidents and other violence connected with the rally, which was begun in 1979.

Rally officials in Nema, Mauritania, decided to restart the race, but Saturday’s stage was a non-competing liaison leg between Gao and Timbuktu, Mali.

Leaders of the top teams met to discuss a possible withdrawal, but decided to continue after receiving assurances about safety during the remainder of the rally.