Trump says Morocco will name Sahara highway for him

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1–2 minutes

Summary

Trump said Morocco will name a 660-mile Western Sahara highway after him, but Moroccan authorities have not confirmed it.

Why this matters

The report touches on the status of Western Sahara, a long-disputed territory central to North African geopolitics. It also reflects the continuing effects of Trump’s 2020 recognition of Morocco’s claim on diplomacy and investment in the region.

President Donald Trump said on Truth Social Sunday that Morocco was naming a 1,055-kilometer (660-mile) highway in Western Sahara after him.

The video showed desert landscapes and sections of the roughly $1 billion road linking Dakhla and Tiznit through territory Morocco considers part of its southern provinces. It described the “President Donald J. Trump Highway” as one of Africa’s longest roads and said it would be part of a broader network linking West Africa through Morocco to the Mediterranean.

“Thank you to Highly Respected Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco — Such a Great Honor!” Trump wrote. “I look forward to traveling the entire length of this Great Highway someday, hopefully soon!”

Morocco has not officially confirmed the naming.

Western Sahara, a resource-rich territory about the size of the United Kingdom, has been disputed since Spain withdrew in 1975. Morocco controls most of the territory, while the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, seeks a referendum on independence and says it represents the indigenous Sahrawi people.

Trump recognized Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara in 2020 as part of a deal in which Morocco re-established ties with Israel.

France and Spain later backed Morocco’s position, helping accelerate development in the area, including a $1.3 billion deep-sea port, tourist resorts, and green-energy projects. Director Christopher Nolan filmed parts of “The Odyssey” near Dakhla last year, drawing criticism from the Polisario Front.

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