Moroccan king's letter confirms naming of major highway in honour of Trump
The highway enters Western Sahara, a disputed territory that Morocco claims sovereignty over.
Moroccan King Mohammed VI has officially announced the renaming of a major highway after US President Donald Trump in a letter dated July 2nd, which was published over the weekend. The highway, previously known as the Tiznit-Dakhla highway, stretches for 1,055km (655 miles) and enters the disputed territory of Western Sahara, most of which Morocco claims sovereignty over.
The renaming came as "a personal expression of my high regard," according to the king, acknowledging President Trump's "historic recognition" of Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara. The highway is described as a "strategic axis" linking north and south of Morocco. In his letter, King Mohammed VI praised President Trump's support for Morocco, stating that the friendship between the two nations had never been as vigorous and fruitful as during President Trump's two presidential terms.
The road, which cost nearly $1bn (£740m) to build, is significant to Morocco as it represents a strategic link between the north and south of the country. The US recognized Morocco's claim over Western Sahara when Morocco agreed to normalise relations with Israel in 2020. Western Sahara, a non-self-governing territory recognized by the UN, has been the site of a long-standing conflict, with the indigenous Sahrawi people never having the opportunity to vote on their own future.
The African Union recognizes Western Sahara's independence, while European governments have generally avoided taking sides in the issue.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
