Morocco names a strategic highway after Donald Trump

King Mohammed VI confirmed in an official letter that Morocco was renaming the Tiznit-Dakhla highway in honor of the American president. This gesture, described as a personal expression of high regard, comes in the context of the American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.

It was through a letter dated July 2nd, published this weekend by the official Moroccan press agency, that King Mohammed VI formalized what Donald Trump He himself had announced on social media the previous week that a Moroccan highway now bears his name. The Moroccan monarchy had not yet made any parallel announcement, leaving the authenticity of the gesture in doubt.

The road in question, formerly known as the Tiznit-Dakhla highway, stretches for 1,055 kilometers. It crosses Western Sahara, a territory largely occupied by Morocco and over which it claims sovereignty, referring to this area as the "Southern Provinces." Its construction cost nearly one billion dollars. The monarch describes it as a "strategic axis" linking the north and south of the kingdom.

In his letter, Mohammed VI welcomed what he called Trump's "historic recognition" of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, stating that it "will forever be etched in the memory of Moroccans, from generation to generation." He also emphasized that relations between the two countries had "never been as strong and fruitful" as during Trump's two presidential terms.

This American recognition dates back to 2020, during Trump's first term. It was part of a broader agreement in which Morocco agreed to normalize its relations with Israel. The American president reacted to the announcement of the highway's naming ceremony by expressing on Truth Social his wish to "drive its entire length one day, hopefully soon."

The status of Western Sahara remains one of the longest-standing conflicts on the African continent. A former Spanish colony, this territory is classified as a "non-self-governing territory" by the UN, which has been calling for decades for a referendum on self-determination. The Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, controls part of the area and is fighting for the independence of the Sahrawi people. The African Union recognizes this independence, while several European governments, including the United Kingdom and Spain, have recently supported Morocco's plan for broader autonomy, without going so far as full independence.