Morocco names highway in Western Sahara after Donald Trump

In a move honoring former U.S. President Donald Trump, Morocco has named a major highway in the disputed Western Sahara territory after him. King Mohammed VI announced the decision to rename the Tiznit-Dakhla expressway the "Donald J. Trump Highway." This gesture serves as a thank you for Trump's "historic recognition of Morocco's sovereignty in 2020 over 'its Sahara,'" which the King stated will "remain forever etched in the memory of Moroccans."

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In homage to this testament of friendship and peace, I have decided to name one of the most important road infrastructures in the kingdom, after 'Donald J. Trump Highway'.

The 1,055-kilometer highway is described as the longest road infrastructure in Africa. The King conveyed his decision in a letter to Trump on July 2, highlighting the naming as a tribute to "this testament of friendship and peace." The decision was announced by the official Moroccan agency MAP on Saturday.

In December 2020, Trump's administration declared U.S. support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, a move that came in exchange for the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel. Western Sahara, a vast desert region rich in phosphates and fisheries, was a Spanish colony until 1975. Morocco controls most of the territory, but the United Nations considers it a non-self-governing territory. A 50-year conflict persists between Rabat and the Polisario Front independence movement, which is backed by Algeria.

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Thank you to His Royal Highness Mohammed VI. (...) What an immense honor! I look forward to traveling this great highway in its entirety one day, I hope it will be soon!

Trump himself expressed his gratitude on his Truth Social platform, calling it an "immense honor" and stating he looks forward to traveling the highway one day. The U.S. position, as reiterated by Trump in a message to the King, is that the Moroccan proposal remains "the only basis for a just and lasting solution," deeming "any other path prolongs the status quo and is unacceptable."

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The Moroccan proposal remains the only basis for a just and lasting solution. Any other path prolongs the status quo and is unacceptable.