Morocco's Royal Tribute to Donald Trump
In a significant gesture of goodwill, King Mohammed VI of Morocco has officially named a major highway after former US President Donald Trump, underscoring the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations. This announcement follows Trump's acknowledgment on social media, where he expressed gratitude for the honor bestowed upon him, although it was initially met with silence from Moroccan authorities. The Moroccan state press agency later released a letter from the king, which detailed this honor as a "personal expression of my high regard" for Trump.
The highway, previously known as the Tiznit-Dakhla highway, spans approximately 1,055 kilometers (about 655 miles) and runs through Western Sahara, a region that has long been at the center of contention between Morocco and the Polisario Front, an armed group advocating for the independence of the Sahrawi people. The naming of this road is particularly symbolic, as it reflects Morocco's assertion of sovereignty over the territory, which has been a subject of international debate for decades.
A Historical Context of Recognition
Back in 2020, during Trump's presidency, the United States officially recognized Morocco's claim over Western Sahara as part of a broader agreement that also saw Morocco normalizing relations with Israel. In his letter, dated July 2 and made public recently, King Mohammed VI commended Trump's "historic recognition" of Morocco's sovereignty over the region, stating that this acknowledgment would be "forever etched in the memory of Moroccans, from generation to generation." This sentiment reflects the depth of the relationship between the two leaders and the nations they represent.
The king described the highway as a "strategic axis" that links the northern and southern parts of Morocco, reinforcing the country’s claim over what it refers to as its "southern provinces." Western Sahara, formerly a Spanish colony, is classified by the United Nations as a "non-self-governing territory," and the ongoing conflict has persisted for over fifty years, making it one of the longest-standing disputes in Africa. The UN continues to advocate for a resolution to this conflict, which includes the possibility of a referendum for the local population to determine their future, a right that has yet to be realized.
While the African Union recognizes Western Sahara's quest for independence, European nations have historically maintained a neutral stance. However, recent developments have seen some, including the UK and Spain, expressing support for Morocco’s proposal to grant autonomy to Western Sahara while denying full independence. Trump, in his recent post on Truth Social regarding the highway renaming, highlighted the significant investment of nearly $1 billion in its construction and expressed his eagerness to travel the length of this newly named highway in the near future.
As reported by bbc.com.
