Morocco names highway after Trump, king’s letter reveals
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has formally confirmed that a major highway stretching into the disputed territory of Western Sahara has been renamed in honour of United States President Donald Trump.
The confirmation came through a letter from the Moroccan monarch to Trump, ending days of speculation after the US president publicly thanked the king for the gesture before any official announcement had been made by Moroccan authorities.
In the letter, later published by Morocco’s state news agency, King Mohammed described the decision as a personal tribute and praised Trump’s role in a landmark shift in US policy on Western Sahara.
The monarch said Trump’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty claim over the territory in 2020 remains a significant moment in Moroccan history and has strengthened ties between Rabat and Washington.
The highway, formerly known as the Tiznit-Dakhla route, spans more than 1,000 kilometres and serves as a key transport corridor linking Morocco with areas of Western Sahara under its control.
Western Sahara remains one of Africa’s longest-running territorial disputes. Morocco administers most of the territory and regards it as part of the kingdom, while the Polisario Front continues to campaign for an independent Sahrawi state.
The dispute has persisted since Spain withdrew from the territory in 1975. Although the United Nations classifies Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory and has long advocated a political solution, efforts to organise a referendum on its future have stalled for decades.
Trump’s administration became the first US government to formally back Morocco’s sovereignty claim as part of a wider agreement that saw Morocco normalise diplomatic relations with Israel.
In his message to the US president, King Mohammed said relations between the two countries had reached unprecedented levels during Trump’s time in office and expressed appreciation for what he described as enduring support for Morocco’s interests.
The announcement is likely to draw renewed attention to the status of Western Sahara, where international opinion remains divided despite growing support from some Western governments for Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a solution to the conflict.
Source: BBC
About The Author
