Morocco's Strategic Naming of the Highway
In a significant diplomatic gesture, Morocco has decided to name its upcoming highway, which will traverse the Western Sahara, the "President Donald Trump Jr Highway." This expressway, stretching an impressive 1,060 kilometers along the Atlantic coastline from Tiznit to Dakhla, aims to solidify the alliance between Morocco and the United States. The announcement has drawn an enthusiastic response from the American president, who expressed his gratitude to "His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, highly respected. What an immense honor! I hope to one day, and I hope very soon, travel the entire length of this magnificent highway," he posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Coming from a background in New York real estate, Trump perceives geopolitical situations through the lens of a developer, considering the potential for grand projects. His vision extends even to regions like Gaza, where he imagines a dazzling city rising from the ruins, complete with golden skyscrapers reminiscent of Miami’s luxurious coastline.
A diplomat humorously remarked on the situation, noting that "it pleases him and doesn't cost much," as the journal TelQuel analyzed this move as a low-cost operation to bolster significant diplomatic support, despite mixed feelings among Moroccans. The president's social media manager also added, "Donald J. Trump Highway: the road to peace and prosperity."
Shifting Alliances and Regional Tensions
The relationship between Washington and Rabat underwent a transformative change in December 2020 when Morocco signed the Abraham Accords, normalizing diplomatic and economic relations with Israel. The UAE and Bahrain were the first Arab nations to establish such ties in September 2020, with Jared Kushner, one of Trump’s sons-in-law, playing a significant role alongside Emirati leader Mohammed bin Zayed. In exchange for this agreement, which some Moroccan politicians have criticized as a "cynical trade," the United States recognized Morocco's claim over Western Sahara and extended military protection.
This development has been perceived as an affront by neighboring Algeria, which maintains a staunch support for Palestine and the Polisario Front, the latter having declared an independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic for over fifty years. In light of the Israeli presence in the region, Algeria has severed its ties with Morocco, while still maintaining a measured relationship with the U.S. Massad Boulos, Trump’s special representative for Africa and the Arab world, has been actively visiting regional capitals to foster peace in Western Sahara, a mission that remains challenging.
Naming a highway in the Sahara after a sitting U.S. president exemplifies the peculiarities of current diplomatic relations, especially amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict and Trump's second term. Like other authoritarian figures, Trump enjoys placing his name on official buildings and featuring large portraits, such as the one displayed at the Ministry of Justice, which takes up considerable wall space.
Moroccan diplomacy skillfully capitalizes on its ally’s desire for recognition. The estimated cost of this new highway, which connects Tiznit, south of Agadir, to Dakhla—home to about 80% of what Morocco refers to as "the Southern territories"—is close to a billion dollars. Additionally, numerous ongoing projects, including an airport, a new port at Dakhla Atlantic, and industrial initiatives, require significant investment. On July 25, U.S. Ambassador Duke Buchan III signed off on the first federal investment in Western Sahara: a hydrogen and ammonia production project. Tariffs have been imposed on fertilizer exports to the United States, indicating a strategic approach to fostering relations through economic avenues. Flattery, it appears, is a tactic that often yields results.
As reported by lepoint.fr.
