Diplomacy · Tiznit and Dakhla

Morocco names 1,055-km highway after Donald Trump in Western Sahara, thanking him for 2020 sovereignty recognition

King Mohammed VI named the Tiznit-Dakhla highway after Donald Trump, calling it a tribute to the US president's 2020 recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory.

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In brief

Photo: Shealeah Craighead, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
How it came to this
  1. December 2020Trump recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara as part of Israel normalization deal.
  2. 2 JulKing Mohammed VI sends letter to Trump announcing highway naming.
  3. 26 JulTrump thanks king on Truth Social, calls it a 'huge honor'.
  4. 1 AugUS embassy publishes Trump's letter reaffirming support for Morocco's autonomy plan.

The naming

King Mohammed VI decided to name the Tiznit-Dakhla highway "Donald J. Trump Highway", the Moroccan state news agency MAP announced on Saturday, citing a letter the king sent to Trump on 2 July. The king wrote that he wanted to thank Trump for his "historic recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara in 2020, which will forever remain engraved in the memory of Moroccans."

“In homage to this testimony of friendship and peace, I have taken the decision to name one of the most important road infrastructures of the kingdom 'Donald Trump Highway'.”

Mohammed VI, king of Morocco

A thank-you for 2020 recognition

In December 2020, then-President Trump recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara as part of a deal that saw Morocco normalize relations with Israel. The territory, a former Spanish colony, is mostly controlled by Morocco but considered a non-self-governing territory by the UN. The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, seeks independence.

Trump's response

On 26 July, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Thank you to His Royal Highness Mohammed VI.... What a huge honor! I can't wait to one day drive the entire magnificent highway." On Saturday, the US embassy in Rabat published a letter from Trump to the king, reaffirming US recognition and support for Morocco's autonomy plan.

“The United States is clear: we recognize Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara and support the Moroccan proposal for serious, credible and realistic autonomy as the only basis for a just and lasting solution.”

Donald Trump, president of the United States

Trump added that "any other path prolongs the status quo and is unacceptable."

The highway

The highway stretches 1,055 km from Tiznit in southern Morocco to Dakhla in Western Sahara, making it the longest road infrastructure in Africa, according to the king's letter. Its southern terminus will connect to the Atlantic port megaproject in Dakhla, currently under construction and expected to open in 2028.

Western Sahara dispute

Morocco annexed Western Sahara after Spain withdrew in 1975, sparking a conflict with the Polisario Front that has lasted 50 years. The territory is rich in phosphates and fisheries. The UN still lists it as a non-self-governing territory, and the US recognition remains a diplomatic flashpoint.

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Tiznit, Dakhla · Morocco, Western Sahara

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