Morocco honors trump with highway renaming in western Sahara

Morocco has paid tribute to former U.S. President Donald J. Trump in a manner befitting his legacy—by naming a major highway after him. In a decree issued by King Mohammed VI, the Autoroute Donald J. Trump now connects the southern Moroccan city of Tiznit to Dakhla, a key city in the disputed Western Sahara territory.

The announcement came through the official Moroccan news agency MAP, which also published a letter from the king to Trump dated July 2. In the letter, Mohammed VI expressed gratitude for Trump’s historic 2020 decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, calling it a gesture of friendship and peace between the two nations.

Historic recognition and strategic alliance

In December 2020, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy by endorsing a Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco’s normalization of relations with Israel. The move was part of broader diplomatic shifts in the region and marked a significant shift in Washington’s stance on the decades-long conflict.

The Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony rich in phosphate deposits and abundant fishing waters, has been under Moroccan control since 1975, though the United Nations continues to classify it as a non-self-governing territory. The conflict pits Morocco against the Polisario Front, a separatist movement backed by Algeria, which seeks independence for the region.

Infrastructure milestone and political symbolism

The newly named highway spans 1,055 kilometers, making it the longest road infrastructure in Africa, according to Moroccan authorities. The project, initiated by King Mohammed VI in 2015, includes a high-speed section between Tiznit and Laâyoune, the administrative heart of Western Sahara, and continues as a national road to Dakhla. Its estimated cost exceeds 850 million euros.

In a reciprocal gesture, Trump responded enthusiastically on his Truth Social platform, calling the naming of the highway “a great honor” and expressing his eagerness to one day travel its full length. While Rabat has not formally confirmed Trump’s visit, the exchange underscores the symbolic strength of the U.S.-Morocco alliance.

The highway project, though still under construction in parts, is a testament to Morocco’s massive investment in developing Western Sahara—a region central to its territorial claims and economic ambitions. The infrastructure not only facilitates regional connectivity but also reinforces Morocco’s strategic presence in the contested territory.